


But with you I'm feeling something that makes me want to stay

by livlostinstarlight



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: 007 AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Believe me I tried, Cass is a spy, Elsa works in politics, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I hope it works, I tried making a plot, Or more like personal annoyances to lovers, a touch of skyfall, adira is there at some point, agent!Cass, cass doesn't like it, diplomat!Elsa, my spy knowledge is based on 24 james bond movies, rapunzel and anna appear to remind us how great they are, spy AU, there is a bit of casino royale, they don't want to, they have to work together, unlikely allies to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26542588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livlostinstarlight/pseuds/livlostinstarlight
Summary: Agent Cassandra Knight is one of the brightest promises of the MI6, she has always been the perfect soldier, but she has always worked alone.When they assign her a new mission, to retrieve a dangerous drive named "The Moonstone" in Montecarlo, they force her to work with someone for the first time. And not just someone, a politician.Cassandra doesn't like it.But Elsa Arendelle is not someone who will easily give up.
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Cassandra & Elsa (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Elsa (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 46





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic works as a succession of present and past moments, the parts in italic are the past.

Thinking back, Cassandra should have known better.

She should have done been more careful, at this point she has probably broken almost every single one of her rules, but she is in too deep to do something about it now.

_Don’t lose the thread._

_Don’t lose your cool._

_Don’t lose your head._

_Don’t lose your faith._

_Don’t lose your soul._

_Don’t lose complete control._

Too late for that now.

She has been working for the MI6 for years, she has become a good agent, a great one, and this mission was supposed to be her big shot to make herself noticed by the upper levels, and be recognized as one of the best in the field.

Yet she managed to slip from her perfect record and make the kind of mistake only newbies do. _Pathetic._

In her defense nothing about this mission has been normal.

Nothing has gone according to plan, and it’s not like Cassandra can’t deal with accidents, she can improvise when she needs to, but things have started going sideways since the beginning.

_He drops the folder on the desk a few inches from her face. The name is inked in blue._

_Her eyebrow quirks up “Project Moonstone? Really? A bit over the top don’t you think?”_

_“You are here to follow the mission, agent Knight. Not offering your input on the process of naming.”_

_She raises both her hands in acceptance, apparently today F is not in the mood of jokes, but again, when he really is? Still, he looks tense, more than usual, Cassandra has learned to decipher him in time._

_“Must be pretty high level.”_

_He scoffs “We are talking about a possible diplomatic catastrophe if you fail.”_

_“No pressure then. Don’t worry though, I am not going to fail.”_

_“I surely hope so, because if you do, America and Russia might start a conflict.”_

_That piques her interest._

_“Since when do we get involved in their messes? Shouldn’t this be a CIA or a KGB’s matter?”_

_“It’s more complicated than that.”_

_Starting to realize the price at stake is higher than usual, Cassandra straightens herself on the chair and picks up the file, starting to browse it._

_It’s mostly pictures of blurry faces, possible targets, she assumes, or witnesses, but if they called her, they are probably the first option. She usually gets summoned when they need a clean and quick job._

_That’s why she is surprised when F says: “It’s a retrieve mission.”_

_“You are sending me to…” she turns the page where the location name pops up “Monaco? To retrieve something? Don’t you usually use Fitzherbert for this kind of things?”_

_F sighs “Rider is not the most suitable option this time, we need someone more… subtle… and that can act accordingly if something goes wrong.”_

_Now that’s more likely._

_“What’s this Moonstone?”_

_“It’s a codename for a drive. It contains all the names, the aliases, and the locations of every CIA and KGB agent currently working on the field.”_

_Cassandra narrows her eyes “Why just them? Why not MI6 too? Or other countries’ agencies?”_

_F smirks, she probably asked the right question “Two weeks ago a direct message got sent to the head of the CIA and to the KGB too. The message contained a location, a date and a time. Thanks to a few of our agents we managed to snatch this data.”_

_“Do we know who sent it?”_

_“Not yet, but we can’t do much without the original message. The point is, someone was able to hack both CIA and KGB’s servers and put all this information on a drive and is now blackmailing two of the most advanced secret agencies of two very powerful and unpredictable countries. They invited them to Monaco, and whoever of the two parties will bid the best offer in three weeks, on 3 rd July, at 18 pm, will get the drive. This is not only a matter of which agency will get to keep their secrets, however this ends, one of them will be exposed to the other party, and we can’t put our trust in the good faith of the winner. This could unbalance the status quo, the thin agreements that regulate peace between countries. This could mean war.”_

_Cassandra drinks in every word he says, she can’t deny the feeling of pressure starting to creep in, but she has learned to keep her emotions in check since she was a child, she will get this job done, or at least she will try to, at the best of her capabilities._

_“As a third and impartial party, we have to intervene and prevent this diplomatic disaster. That’s why I am sending you to retrieve the Moonstone, you have to be smart, quick, and get it before any Russian or American agent. You have permission to do whatever it takes for the sake of the mission. It’s unlikely that both agencies aren’t already aware of us knowing, but they can’t ask us directly to step aside, it will reveal the breach, and also reveal their deeper meaning. I am not going to sweeten this for you, they will try to stop you, with any means necessary.”_

_She knows exactly what he means, they will try to kill her, they won’t care she is an agent working to prevent keep the peace, they will just see her as an obstacle to their goal._

_Something to wipe off without even blinking._

_“We will be with you every step of the way, you won’t be on your own, but there is only much the MI6 can do to assist you. If something happens, we will not be able to do anything about it, without risking of being accused of interfering in political matters, this is a level-up-secret-mission of an already top-secret mission.”_

_He is implying that if she gets caught or killed on the field, no one will care, that she will simply be abandoned and forgotten for the sake of the façade of the country, she can’t say she is surprised, these are the perks of the job too._

_She clears her throat “So what I am hearing is that the moment I get my hands on this Moonstone, every Russian or American in the range of miles will come for my head. And if I am not the one to get it, there will be the Third World War? Or am I missing something?”_

_F can’t help but chuckle, it’s deep but there is no real humor in it “Basically, yes.”_

_“Great, when do we start?”_

The clock on her nightstand strikes 17, the alarm has barely the time to blast that she has already turned it off before it could wake the figure sleeping beside her.

Cassandra dreads the fact that soon she will have to go, she should start to get ready, but it’s hard to do that, when she stops to think about how this is the most peaceful she has ever seen _her_.

Her platinum blonde hair is messily framing her face, she is slightly clutching the pillow in her sleep.

Cassandra has to restrain herself from caressing her cheek, or touching her altogether, the way it felt to have her in her arms a few hours prior is still lingering on her, but she doesn’t trust herself enough to stop if she gives in to her wishes.

A good agent would have turned his back and pulled away before anything could happen, a sensible one would have never found himself into this situation in the first place.

Cassandra has been careless enough to let it happen. Multiple times.

_Great work, Cassandra. Big mistake._

She allows herself one last brief look to the woman laying next to her, before she stands up from the bed and walks to her chair.

She dresses herself slowly and carefully, taking her time to button up her shirt and slide the jacket on, hiding two knives, one around her wrist, the other in the boot.

With a click she puts her gun in the holster on the hip.

It’s her job, yet she feels it more like a death sentence right now.

“Cassandra?”

_“WHAT?”_

_“It’s already been decided, it’s no use to argue now.”_

_Cassandra is usually a good agent, the perfect soldier, maybe she indulges in a few snarky comments now and then, and sometimes has to go off plans and take a few risks to get the job done, but she listens to orders, she is respectful of her superiors._

_But this time, oh, Cassandra wants to argue, she really does._

_“I work alone.”_

_“These are Prime Minister’s orders.”_

_“Does the Prime Minister know that I passed the age where I needed a babysitter?”_

_Someone lets escape a giggle, Cassandra and F turn to see that it’s Varian._

_V is his codename, but she rarely uses it anymore, he even calls her Cass now, and despite his age, he is the responsible of the equipment, and the new Quartermaster, he can hack basically everything, Cassandra has yet to meet someone smarter than him._

_But he is still a kid sometimes, and noticing he has been caught, he clears his throat and gets back to fumble with his tools on the table “Sorry boss.”_

_Cassandra shakes her head, mildly amused, but her annoyance is not gone “F, seriously, I don’t need anyone, you know that.”_

_“The Prime Minister thinks that because of the seriousness of the matter, and the implications it could have, you need to have someone to advise you, guide you and especially remind you what you can and can’t do. We are already on the verge of a possible diplomatic incident, but she also wants to be sure you are not the reason.”_

_“And she sends me a… what is it called now?”_

_She knows it, but she wants him to repeat it so he can analyze how deeply stupid this idea is._

_F indulges her “A consultant on international affairs.”_

_“That sounds even more idiotic the second time around! This is not a picnic, this is a retrieve mission! I am not going to sit there and ask for the drive politely. I have to get back this thing, for what I could get killed for, and you want me to take a diplomat with me? Couldn’t you get me a new weapon or something? And not a useless idiot man whose job is talking around things?”_

_She has never raised her voice, not to a superior anyway, but she can’t help it, she usually trusts the agency plans, but this is not her usual mission, it’s much more riskier and already tricky enough, she doesn’t want to complicate it further by having to look after someone beside herself._

_F tries to calm her down raising his hands, but he knows better than to try to touch her “Cassandra, think of it as an asset.”_

_“I’m telling you what it really is, a liability.” she snaps back “You are sending me into deadly mission, plus, I have to take care of a toddler in a suit, pardon me if I am not thrilled.” she crosses her arms, she is aware it’s not F’s fault, he can’t go against the Prime Minister, he has to follow orders, just like her._

_“The Prime Minister assured me she is one of her most trusted advisors, she will not give you trouble.”_

_“I don’t care if she sends me the secretary of state himself, I…” she stops herself reanalyzing his words “Wait… she?”_

_The timing couldn’t be more perfect, but Cassandra has her back at the glass door and doesn’t spot the figure approaching until it’s too late, when it opens abruptly and a woman steps into the room._

_Cassandra has to double take._

_It’s not easy to startle her at this point of her life, she has been looking over her shoulder for so much time, that it’s essentially a second nature to her, she has learned to expect the unexpected from all sides._

_But she surely didn’t see this one coming._

_The first thing that strikes Cassandra is how young she is, it shouldn’t be a surprise to her, she is not in the position to say anything about it, but she can’t help but notice how she doesn’t seem much older than her, and being in politics at her age must be a great achievement on her part, it’s not something to overlook._

_She is tall, her hair is platinum blonde, neatly combed into a braid that rests on her left shoulder, she is wearing a grey pantsuit, that just increases the coldness of her appearance, and she is walking on heels with an easiness almost scary._

_In Cassandra’s experience, women who can walk and run in heels should be feared the most._

_Not to mention she is probably the most beautiful woman Cassandra has ever seen._

_Luckily for her, she is not a man, and she can discern between pleasure and duty, and despite her striking beauty, she can’t forget this woman is her personal cross to bear in a possibly lethal situation and who could easily get her killed. Not exactly an attractive quality per se._

_She doesn’t have time to study her more thoroughly, because she has already reached them in a few light steps “My name is Elsa Arendelle, I have been sent by the Prime Minister as your consultant for international affairs.”_

_F takes her hand to shake it “Welcome to the MI6 headquarters, miss Arendelle. I’m F.”_

_“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”_

_Then she moves to Cassandra, who can’t help but notice her piercing blue eyes, and how they are faintly glaring at her. She must have heard her._

_“Cass-”_

_“I know who you are, miss Knight. I read your file.”_

_She most definitely heard her, apparently, Cassandra has already made a great first impression, this is truly the beginning of a beautiful and peaceful partnership. But two can play this game._

_“I wish I could say the same, miss Arendelle. Since no one has been kind enough to make me aware of your existence or your role in my mission until an hour ago.”_

_She makes sure to remark on the fact that this is her mission, she doesn’t even try to hide her annoyance._

_She sees her stiffen and welcomes the reaction with satisfaction, they can force her to work with her, but not to be accommodating. If Cassandra has to suffer through this, then so has she._

_“But you have been informed of the importance of this mission, and how fundamental it is not to compromise the position of the UK and avoid any possible conflict.”_

_“Yes, I most certainly have. I can read a folder.”_

_F shoots her a side look, it’s his way to tell her to quit it with the sarcasm and be respectful, but Cassandra doesn’t want to play nice today. It’s like she is being threatened in her own territory and she doesn’t like it._

_Miss Arendelle doesn’t seem bothered by her defiance, she simply stares her down, a stone-cold mask on her face “Then you have been informed of all you needed to know for now.”_

_Cassandra blinks._

_She is starting to get who is she dealing with, one must respect the boldness._

_“Oh, and for the record, the need to take care of toddlers during your mission it’s entirely up to you. If you are so capable of doing your job as the reports tell, you won’t have to do any of that.”_

_Stone cold bitch? Possibly. But also, sharp as a knife? Most definitely._

_In a words’ match Cassandra has no chance to win, she is sure of it, after all, she is dealing with a diplomat, if she wants to make herself clear, she has to be direct “Can I ask you something, miss Arendelle?”_

_She furrows her brow a little, it could be easily missed, but Cassandra has been doing this job for half of her life, she sees it anyway, “Of course.”_

_“Are you planning on following me on this mission, correct?”_

_“Yes, that’s the plan.”_

_“You are coming with me to Monaco, and you will be with me all the time.”_

_“I am set to accompany you and advise you every step of the way, yes.”_

_Cassandra smirks and shakes her head, as if she has just remembered the funniest joke in the world._

_“May I ask what you find so amusing, miss Knight?”_

_“It’s agent, by the way, miss Arendelle if you must.” if Cassandra enjoys a little reprehending her, she tries not to make it too evident “Please indulge me a little more, do you know how to use a gun? Or any weapon at all?”_

_She seems taken aback by the question, the steadiness in her voice is starting to quiver “No.”_

_“Do you know any kind of physical combat or defense basics?”_

_“No but-”_

_“Then, miss Arendelle…” she interrupts her “if your task includes shadowing me all the time, you will_

_be in the field with me, endangering your life, and because you are in no possession of physical training, my responsibilities will include protecting you. This means that my job will not only be to retrieve the drive and keep myself alive, but also keep you alive. Does that clarify some things to you?”_

_She probably sounds cruel and bitter, but she can’t worry about her feelings, she needs to explain how much is at stake, because if Cassandra has to take on herself also another life, this woman needs to be aware of the risks, and the consequences that her presence can have on the mission._

_“I won’t stand in your way, agent Knight, if that’s what’s troubling you.” Cassandra dreads the few inches of difference they have in height, they make her feel small in comparison “As long as we focus on our tasks and cooperate when needed, we won’t be a burden to each other. The priority is to retrieve the drive and avoid an imbalance of international powers.” she sounds even colder now “I think I can take care of myself while you punch your way through things.”_

_Is this how is going to be all the time? An endless fighting? Cassandra won’t back down for sure._

_“I am not sure your words, as icy as they might be, will provide you a proper shield, miss Arendelle.”_

_F has the decency to cough and interrupt this sparring match “Agent Knight, I think that’s enough.”_

_Cassandra is a lot of things, brooding, reckless, a bit closed off, but she knows her place, and the last thing she wants is being scolded and called to order, she reluctantly takes a step back._

_In response miss Arendelle’s shoulders slouch back._

_She flickers her blue eyes at her “I look forward to working with you, agent Knight.”_

_“Likewise, miss Arendelle.”_

The voice calling for her sounds softer than usual, maybe because its owner is coming out of her slumber and is not completely awake.

“I’m here.”

The blonde head raises from the pillow, as she adjusts the sheet to cover herself, her blue eyes focus on Cassandra, then turn to the clock on the nightstand. A sigh escapes from her.

“You should get back to sleep.” Cassandra tries to convince her, but she knows it wont’s be of use, she is too stubborn to listen.

“And you should come back to bed.”

“You know that I can’t, I have a date.”

She scoffs “More of a Damocles’ sword if you ask me.”

“Still, I have a mission to fulfill.” she tries to smooth the collar of her shirt “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Cassandra moves to leave, but she stops in her tracks when she calls for her again: “You shouldn’t go.”

“You knew this was coming.”

“We are talking about your life.”

Now she is definitely awake, and worse, she sounds sadder.

Cassandra walks back to the bed and settles at the end of it “You know as well as I do that if I don’t get that drive, we might risk a global conflict.”

She is so fast, a hand clasps around hers “I don’t care.”

“You don’t care about the world?”

“I don’t care about that drive, not if it endangers your life, maybe we were wrong, maybe it won’t even lead to anything, and the Americans and the Russians won’t use it against each other.”

It’s a weak excuse and they both know it, Cassandra wouldn’t want nothing more than to believe her.

She strokes her hand with her thumb “You are the diplomat between us, and I am the one that has to tell you that’s wishful thinking?”

“You can’t blame me for trying to keep you safe.”

Cassandra hazards to look at her in the eyes, she finds them unwavering “Whatever happened to _the priority is the drive_ and _we have to avoid an imbalance of international powers_?”

“Priorities change.”

“Yours or the world’s?”

“Does it matter?”

It’s stupid of Cassandra to engage in a discussion with her, she knows she would win, she could tell her to set the world on fire and she would gladly pass her the lighter. That’s how much she has affected her.

But despite of how she feels, she knows her duty, and the blonde knows it too “If I stayed, you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself, regret would eat you alive.”

“And it wouldn’t do the same to you?”

“I would have other things to distract me.” she allows herself to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear “I am not the good person that you think I am.”

“That’s the biggest lie you have ever told.” she breathes deeply “Just to begin with, _you_ are the one convincing _me_ to let you go save the world. You pretend you don’t care, but you do care, so much more than you want to let on.”

“And you don’t need convincing, you know it’s the right thing to do. You might be trying to keep me here for now, but you will eventually let me go.”

“Perhaps… but I hate that you have to be the one to do it.” she averts her gaze for a moment “But I also know that if there is someone who can do this, it’s you.”

A few weeks ago, Cassandra would have never thought she would find herself in this position, hell, if she had known, maybe she would have done things differently.

No, she probably wouldn’t, she would have done the exact same things, because she is human, and because for the first time in forever, she has found a reason she would gladly stop running for.

After a lifetime of waiting, of searching for her place, is this how she finds it?

It’s not something she would easily give up on now.

“ _Elsa”_ she grabs her face “I’ll be back after I get the job done, I promise, trust me.”

“I trust you.” she puts her hand on hers “Be safe.”

“I’ll try.” she kisses her forehead “You be careful.”

“I always am.”

“Now who is the one lying?”

Elsa chuckles, but it sounds forced.

Then Cassandra reluctantly pulls away and exits the room without letting herself looking back, she knows that if she did, she would never be able to leave.

_Cassandra lingers a moment longer with her gaze on her before looking outside._

_From the train window the view appears dark, they’ll arrive in Montecarlo in the morning._

_They should probably talk, set up a strategy, or at least an outline, but despite being seated across from one another, they have been adamant in ignoring each other._

_That’s why Cassandra hates working with someone, having a partner requires too much effort and a huge deal of patience, which she doesn’t have. And it doesn’t help that she has never been good at making friends either, she barely has three, maybe four. Not everyone appreciates her charm._

_But they’ll have to talk eventually, especially if they have to work together, if they want a chance to succeed and survive._

_She is trying to decide the best way to approach her, but apparently, the other must think the same, because she finally turns to look directly at Cassandra. But in the end, she is the diplomat, it’s only fitting she is the first one trying to reach out “I think we might have started on the wrong foot.”_

_The euphemism of the century._

_“Maybe” Cassandra leans on her hand hiding her mouth behind her fingers “I might have come off more antagonizing than I should have.”_

_The blonde seems on the verge of saying something, but decides against it, opting for a more diplomatic solution and keeping her mouth shut, but it’s clearly written on her face, until she carefully replies: “And I haven’t made things easier either.”_

_“I want to clarify, this has nothing to do with you, it’s nothing personal. Maybe you are good at what you do, the best even, but… I don’t understand how someone of your… expertise should have anything to do with this mission. Diplomacy is not something we need in a situation like this.”_

_She shoots her a deep look “Diplomacy is always needed.”_

_Cassandra can’t help but roll her eyes, typical politician’s response._

_Elsa presses on: “I am aware of the difficulties of your position, I have the maximum respect for your work, and I know it can’t be easy. But all I ask of you is to show the same respect to me and my profession, because I can assure you, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t necessary.”_

_The way she talks irradiates authority gives Cassandra the impression that maybe in her field she is not at the top of the pyramid, she is the pyramid._

_She even starts absentmindedly tapping her fingers on the table between them, and it makes Cassandra feel a little like a child scolded by her teacher, but she won’t be intimidated “Then tell me, miss Arendelle, how would your presence be useful to me?”_

_Cassandra must give this to her, she doesn’t appear fazed by her sarcastic remarks, she welcomes them with an easiness almost disturbing, but her gaze is louder than any of her words, especially with the way she stares her down “I have heard of you, agent Knight, I read about you too. All records picture one of the finest promises of the British intelligence: smart, perceptive… A little impulsive, maybe, and unpredictable at times, but I imagine you have to be to do what you do.”_

_Cassandra straightens her back as she speaks, she is not sure what she is going for, but she can’t deny this sort of praise is flattering, and frankly, quite pleasing._

_Then something changes in her blue eyes, they narrow only slightly, but it’s still evident “But they also tell how you are distrustful, a loner, and mostly, reluctant to cooperate... actually, the exact expression someone used was ‘allergic to people’.”_

_Cassandra’s blood runs cold._

_It shouldn’t be a surprise to her, she knows how she is, she isn’t telling her anything new, still, pointing out her sharper sides is not something that she appreciates._

_“I understand how my presence could feel like a violence of your space to you, but I am here for a reason, I am here because the Prime Minister thought it would be wise to not let you go on your own. Especially with a risk of diplomatic disaster upon us.”_

_Cassandra leans forward “I don’t appreciate how everyone thinks of me as some sort of ticking bomb. You said it yourself, I am good at what I do, and one thing I surely am not is sloppy. Yet here you are, telling me that if you don’t watch me constantly, I could go and start a war with a country as a pastime.”_

_“That’s not what I am saying.” she frowns as if she has heard the most absurd thing._

_“Then what are you saying? I don’t know, I can never tell between what a politician is saying, and what they are actually meaning.”_

_She tilts her head as if she is studying her “You don’t like politicians.”_

_“All the ones I have encountered tend to treat me and my colleagues like their own personal army. They expect me to act like their little private soldier, they all have this wrong impression that I would do anything they say, but they forget that I don’t serve them. I serve my country, the people. Not an idiot seated on a cushion chair.” she silently appreciates how Elsa doesn’t interrupt her, and seems to listen to her carefully, maybe really making an effort to understand her, that’s what drives Cassandra to get something else out, so they can be perfectly honest with each other from the start: “Not to mention, I don’t like people who lie, and talk around things without really saying anything.”_

_That makes her break out of her silence: “That’s not what politicians do.”_

_“That’s what most of them do. And I don’t think I can trust someone who can’t be honest with me.” Cassandra crosses her arms “You can’t even give me a straight answer. You dodged my questions. Twice.”_

_Elsa moves closer, leaving completely the backrest as she leans forward “You want me to be honest? Okay. I think you are being judgmental. And quite narrow-minded.”_

_If she wasn’t sitting down, Cassandra would probably take a step back._

_“Maybe there are politicians like the ones you talk about, but there are others, many others, that try to keep their countries safe, that work hard to make the world a better place. And diplomacy is not just a way to tell a pretty lie, sometimes it’s the best option to prevent conflict, it’s a bridge between parties that they might not always understand each other. Sometimes it can make all the difference in the world. Don’t you think that talking things through is better than bombing everything?”_

_Cassandra must give her that, she is right, and makes her point splendidly, and the best thing is that it’s clear she believes in this too. If more people were like her, so driven to do good, maybe the world would be indeed a better place._

_“You are right.”_

_“What?” she looks surprised, as if she can’t believe Cassandra just agreed with her, perhaps she expected more fighting, but Cassandra can recognize a losing battle when she gets into one._

_“I said that you are right.”_

_After that first moment of astonishment, Elsa quickly takes back control of herself, as if she is slipping into a coat “Besides… did I give you the impression I won’t be truthful to you?”_

_Cassandra raises both her eyebrows “What makes you think that?”_

_“Agent Knight, pardon me, but I think you are the one dodging the question now.”_

_She almost laughs, almost, perhaps she is enjoying a little this back and forth._

_Instead she shifts on her chair eyeing her intently “Not yet, miss Arendelle, not yet.”_

_“Very well then.”_

_“But you still haven’t told me why you are here.” before the other could answer she adds: “And don’t say it’s to prevent a diplomatic disaster or a war or anything else. Tell me what your real purpose is, and what you are going to do for this mission.”_

_“Let’s just say it will be up to me to tell you how to best engage with our foreign parties. Because, despite how much you loathe hearing it, I really am here to prevent you from upsetting the wrong people at the wrong time and cause a rift between us and the US or Russia. So, have I answered your question now? Is it enough of an explanation for you?”_

_“No.” this time she isn’t able to stop herself, Elsa unmistakably and shamelessly rolls her eyes, Cassandra finds it rather amusing “But I’ll take it. For now.”_


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the present? Domestic, so domestic  
> In the past? It's a work in progress

She comes running from the stairs, like the devil himself is chasing her, she doesn’t stop until she reaches the suite and slams the door shut behind her, locking it twice.

She takes a moment to catch her breath, rubbing her hand on the wound on her arm, hissing profusely.

She should be safe by now, but in her job, she is not so naïve to really think that.

She hears a ruffle, like someone coming in a hurry, and Elsa barges in with a candlestick raised in her hands, ready to fight, but she relaxes the moment her eyes settle on her “Oh my god, it’s you… you startled me!”

Cassandra is injured, her clothes are ripped, and frankly she is tired out of her mind and just wants to take a 12 hours’ nap, but the moment she sees her like that, she breaks into a laugh “Why do you have that?”

“I couldn’t possibly know it was you! It was the first thing I could grab.”

“Didn’t I leave you a spare gun specifically for emergencies? And seriously, a candlestick? What were you going to do, smack me?”

“I didn’t even try to lift that thing, I hate it. Can you blame me?”

“No, not really.” she waves her hand “Easy now, put that down…”

Elsa slowly lowers the candlestick, there is something in the way she looks at Cassandra, it’s hopeful but unsure “Did… did you get it?”

Despite the exhaustion, Cassandra grins and starts roaming through her jacket’s pocket, taking her time to bring out a small blue round object “Yeah, yeah I did.”

Elsa drops the candlestick to the floor at once, and launches herself at her, wrapping her into a hug “You did it, you actually did it. I can’t believe it’s over...” voice hoarse with emotion, she hides her face in Cassandra’s shoulder “I knew you could do it.”

“We can finally get out of this awful place.” Cassandra lets herself savor the moment and locks one arm around her to bring her closer, hugging her back even if it slightly pains her “We can go home.”

But when Elsa squeezes her a little too tight, she can’t help herself from groaning.

The blonde pulls away almost immediately “What is it? What’s wrong?” then her eyes fall on Cassandra’s and the way she is bending her body, starting to catch more and more details “Are you hurt?”

Cassandra grimaces “So, funny story… yes I am, but nothing too serious.”

Obviously she can’t fool her, Elsa is getting more alert by the second, and scans her attentively, reaching for her injured arm “You are _bleeding_.” the worry is gripping from her tone as she carefully takes it in her hands.

And Cassandra can’t really hide the truth from her “I managed to get the Moonstone, but… in the commotion I got shot.” she closes her eyes in pain but opens them right away, faintly shaking her arm to prove it doesn’t hurt, but she regrets the decision instantly.

“You got shot?!” Elsa’s voice raises of a couple of octaves as she starts examining it more frantically. Cassandra tries to pull away from her grasp and put her hands on her shoulders to reassure her, but it’s useless, she is not budging. Or letting her go.

“Yeah, but it’s nothing, it doesn’t even hurt much… I don’t think the bullet came out either.”

“WHAT?”

Cassandra flinches startled by her outburst, then raises her eyebrow “Come on Els, why are you surprised? You know what I do for living! Sometimes people shoot at me!”

She could swear Elsa could almost hit her on the spot, and perhaps she does want to, instead she is a white hurricane going back and forth, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing loudly “I am going to get bandages, and some disinfectant. And maybe some sort of… pincers? I don’t know! What can I use to _take out a bullet_?!”

She practically flees from the room, leaving Cassandra staring after her with wide eyes.

“Elsa? We don’t really have time for this, we should start packing to leave. We have-”

She can’t even finish the sentence, the blonde comes back, with a murderous look in her eyes, Cassandra almost backs down against the door, “Sit down, we have to clean that.”

“But-”

“Sit. Down. Or I’ll use that candlestick on _you_.” she disappears again, but Cassandra can hear complaining from the other room “How did you even manage to stay alive until now is beyond me…”

Cassandra shakes her head in disbelief and mutters: “Goodbye diplomacy, you will be missed…”

“I heard that!”

_Cassandra is hastily trying to brush her hair, trying to make it look tidier._

_Usually she doesn’t put too much thought in these petty things, but she has to look the part, apparently the cover chosen for her and Elsa is of an heiress and her brand new wife, on their way to completely let loose in one of the richest hotels in Montecarlo for their honeymoon._

_It’s the perfect excuse to lay low, no one will expect them to get out of their room often, if not for some minor entertainment, they will have all the time and peace to set up a plan, and act accordingly without being disturbed._

_Soon she will have to get ready, she is still in her shorts and undershirt, and quite honestly she is not too eager to go out tonight, but they agreed on dinner downstairs, in a quiet private space, so they won’t draw too much attention and Cassandra will begin studying the surroundings._

_If they have to stay there for the next weeks, she should know how to move around the place._

_And she especially should start speculating about the bidding location and keep an eye for the upcoming bidders. In the next few days, the hotel will have many agents from two of the most advanced intelligence agencies running around, just waiting to get their hands on the Moonstone._

_Not to mention the mysterious seller._

_Cassandra has to be prepared._

_Just when she thinks she can’t do much better to improve her appearance, she groans and ruffles her hair, then grips the sink with her hands, glaring profusely at her reflection in the mirror._

_“What a bunch of bullshit…”_

_Her ears detect a faint noise, and once again she is reminded, she is not alone in here._

_It’s easy to forget, it will take time some time to get used to someone else’s presence, she is annoyed by it, but she can’t deny she is a little bit curious too, especially after their exchange on the train._

_Elsa Arendelle is… a character, to say the least._

_Cassandra decides to head for the room and finds her in front of the vanity._

_She is already dressed, she has opted for a long turquoise dress, that leaves her shoulder bare and hugs her body like a second skin. From a certain angle it even seems to spark._

_It’s extremely elegant and screams wealth, Cassandra wasn’t expecting anything less from her, and to no one’s surprise, she looks amazing in it._

_“Your clothes are on the bed.” she is making a few adjustments on her braid “The bag on the left.”_

_“I’m already covered.”_

_“Pardon me for meddling, but I took the liberty to order a suit for you, I didn’t think your option would be appropriate for the circumstance. I don’t mean to offend, but it was too plain.”_

_She means no offence, but it surely feels like one._

_Cassandra narrows her eyes, first her mission, now her clothes? She doesn’t like what’s happening._

_“It’s not important how I dress, and I surely don’t plan on sticking out.”_

_“I don’t want to overstep, I know I have to respect your space and your boundaries but-”_

_Cassandra cuts her off: “Listen, you are already here, surprisingly, to be some sort of asset to the mission, and I am going to value your input, because I am a professional. But I won’t let you turn me into your personal doll to dress.”_

_“It’s not my intention” she turns to look at her, there is no malice in her eyes “but how you present yourself is part of our cover too, otherwise no one would believe us. Here sticking out means hiding in plain sight.” she is not trying to taunt her, but stating things like they are “I won’t force your hand, but I assure you, I would never make you wear something that would make you uncomfortable. I just want to help.”_

_Her point is reasonable, but Cassandra can’t help but frown, her space being violated, even of an inch, it’s not something she tolerates easily._

_Elsa notices her expression in the reflection and briefly rolls her eyes “Do you always doubt everything?”_

_“It’s part of the job. When you trust nothing, nothing can surprise you.”_

_“I am not asking you to trust me fully, but neither of us is in her usual comfort zone right now, and I think we might actually work well together if we try.” she clips an earring on her ear. “At least take a look.”_

_This time Cassandra listens to her, hesitantly opening the bag, and at the sight she surprisingly relaxes._

_They are a simple black jacket, a white shirt, open on the front in a deep V-neck, and high waisted black pants with suspenders. Nothing too over the top, nothing too ordinary either, the result is pretty refined._

_But again, considering how she collects herself, she is not surprised Elsa has good taste too._

_The diplomat eyes her curiously “Should I take it your lack of complain as a good sign?”_

_“Let’s see how I look, miss Arendelle. Then we’ll talk.” Cassandra can’t stop the small smirk opening on her face, as she goes into the other room to change._

_Once she is ready, she realizes the suit fits her perfectly, too perfectly, its’s like it has been tailored precisely for her. She strolls back to the bedroom and shoots a deep look at her partner, her tone betraying a certain suspicion “It’s my size.”_

_Elsa is staring back at her through the vanity’s mirror “You are surprised.”_

_“How did you get my measurements?”_

_There is a little quirk on the blonde’s mouth “I sized you up the moment I saw you, I have a good eye for these things.”_

_As much as Cassandra would like to deny it, she is impressed._

_“And I don’t even look ridiculous…” her comment is her subtle admission, her way of offering some sort of branch of olive, but it’s so small she might not even notice “If only this damn thing would close…” she curses as she is trying and failing to button up the wrist sleeve._

_Elsa doesn’t take the chance to gloat, or tease her in any way, she simply stands and reaches out her hands towards Cassandra’s arm “May I?”_

_Cassandra doesn’t turn her away, she is so exasperated, she stops fumbling with it and stiffly nods._

_With a swift flicker of her fingers Elsa buttons it easily and brushes it to smooth it, and that’s when Cassandra becomes painfully aware that she is too close, she is letting her touch her, so she hastily pulls away “We should go.”_

_Before grabbing her jacket from the bed, she turns and sees Elsa lingering on the doorframe._

_There is a weird look on her face, like she is about to say something._

_“What?”_

_She shakes her head “Ridiculous is not the word I would use.”_

_And with that, she exits, quiet as mouse, leaving a confused and quite dumbfounded Cassandra._

“Why do you have to meet her in person? Can’t you just call?”

“Els, it’s perfectly normal. Zhan Tiri is our contact with the outer world, I have to go to her, so we can arrange the best way to carry the Moonstone and that will get us safely out of Monaco. When, where and how we move, is up to her, she is literally our passage.” Cassandra closes her belt around her pants, tucking the shirt in them “You have nothing to worry about, she has been an agent for ages. I’ll be back shortly.”

“You said that before.”

“And then I did come back, didn’t I?”

“I suppose you are right.” as she watches her once again get ready, Elsa sighs leaning on her arms, sitting on the bed. It’s clear she is not a big fan of the idea, all this tension is starting to get the better of her, a headache already forming, along with her furrowed brow “But can’t I come? We are in this together after all, we both have to leave this place, it’s only fair I talk to her too.”

Cassandra wrinkles her nose “Spy life is really warming on you, look at you wanting to take risks and everything.”

“Be serious. I don’t think you should be on your own, we are not out of the woods yet.”

Cassandra stops fumbling with her clothes to sit beside her for a moment “It will be a hit-and-run. I already know where to go, she sent me her location and is probably waiting for me as we speak. No offense, but I think I will be quicker if I go alone, and you should keep a low profile and stay hidden a little longer.” she wraps her finger around Elsa’s wrist, stroking it faintly with her thumb “Actually, I need you to do something for me, much more important.”

“What?”

As she says it, Cassandra reaches for one of the inside pockets of her jacket.

She rummages for a few seconds before finding what she is looking for, she tucks it in her palm and holds it carefully with her fist tightly clenched.

She takes Elsa’s hand and slowly let the Moonstone slide in it “I need you to hold this.”

Elsa hesitantly tightens her grip, she knows it’s harmless from the outside, but it feels foreign, like it’s burning a hole in her palm “You are not bringing it with you?”

Cassandra shakes her head “Better to be safe than sorry. I hate to ask you this, it’s like I am putting a target on your back, and I apologize for that, but it’s better this way. You are beyond suspicion, an outsider, and above all, unexperienced, no one in his right mind would think I have been foolish enough to give it to _you_.”

“I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered.”

“Neither. I know you can hold your ground” her hands are still on hers “and I am giving you the Moonstone, because it will be safer with you. But you must promise me not to hide it anywhere, don’t even put it down for a minute, _always_ keep it close to you, no matter what.”

The diplomat opens her hand a little, to take a look at this thing that has caused more panic in the last month than any other more pressing global catastrophe, to three whole countries, nonetheless.

At first sight, it’s just a drive, blue, round and plain, yet inside are stored highly classified information that could rattle international balance. That could cause war.

How something so small could cause so much trouble is unbelievable.

“And you must leave this room, you will wait for me in a temporary one I had arranged for us. We have to assume our location has already been compromised.”

“You really thought of everything.”

“I have to.”

_“Can I ask what is bothering you to make you grumble so much, or you will consider my asking as an overstepping?”_

_After Cassandra has been walking back and forth for the past twenty minutes, so long that at this point the rug might set on fire as a protest, she comes to a stop._

_Elsa has kept awfully quiet until now, turning a page of the dossier she has been reading, she adds: “I am not a really talkative person, apparently we have this in common, but it’s just us. And I am a pretty good listener if you need… You know, I don’t bite.”_

_“I am not so sure about that…” the blonde’s unamused look keeps her for continuing that thought, then she throws her hands in the air “If you really must know, I was thinking about the mission.”_

_“You always are.”_

_“I have to.”_

_Elsa sighs, but still calmly replies: “What in particular?”_

_“Why would you care?”_

_“This mission involves both of us.”_

_“Astonishingly.”_

_“Agent Knight, please…”_

_“Fine” Cassandra’s gaze turns into an annoyed glare “I am thinking that since we have been here, nothing has happened. Literally nothing.”_

_“It’s early, the date of the bidding is still far.”_

_“But someone should have shown up by now. I checked, I double checked, but no one possibly linked to an intelligence agency, or remotely suspicious, has arrived at the hotel. Are we sure this is the right location?”_

_“Yes, it is the one, it’s probably the most accurate piece of information we have.” she turns to look at her questioningly “How do you discern suspicious people from others?”_

_“I don’t, I check them all.”_

_“Agent Knight, we have been here three days.”_

_“Your point?”_

_Elsa stares at her dumbfounded for a few seconds, her mind roughly processing how many people or places Cassandra has studied since they arrived, the answer is, probably a lot, then replies: “I think you should take a break.”_

_“I think I should go on another recon. I’ll be quick, unless I find something.”_

_“Can you stop? For a second? Please sit down.” she doesn’t sound annoyed, it seems more like a plea, Cassandra crosses her arms but doesn’t make a move to leave “What now?”_

_“You are not very patient, are you?”_

_“I don’t like waiting if that’s what you are asking.”_

_“Weird considering your profession.”_

_Cassandra scoffs “I can be patient and wait when I know what to wait for, what I don’t like… is being kept in the dark.” she clarifies “And I prefer to be prepared, for everything, and since we can’t predict our competitors’ moves, we can’t-”_

_“Presumably the Russians will arrive first. A week earlier than the Americans even, I will say two or three days from now maximum.”_

_Cassandra turns her head with a snap “How can you know?”_

_Elsa raises her gaze from the dossier, but she doesn’t drop it “I don’t, but I can guess, it’s my part of my job.”_

_“Explain further.”_

_This time the diplomat slowly closes the papers and puts them to the side, to focus entirely on the woman in front of her “I am your consultant on international affairs, so my purpose is to know about the countries we have to deal with. Their habits, their behaviors, everything I can. And since I have been working in politics since I was 19, I know plenty.” she is not trying to brag, she is just stating a fact “Fighting, obtaining information, retrieving objects, disposing of… targets...” she hesitates when referring on the part of Cassandra’s job that includes killing people, she can’t really blame her, if it was easy, everyone would do it. And despite being something Cassandra usually does, it’s not something she necessarily enjoys it._

_“… that’s your area of expertise. Instead, knowing our political adversaries, how they think, how they could act in response of a situation, is mine.” she pauses, to give her words deeper meaning “So, yeah, the Russians will probably arrive first.”_

_Cassandra is starting to get her role in all of this shit show, she chooses her next question with a whole new mindset “Why Russians?”_

_“Because their distrust towards Americans is not just a rumor, it’s very pronounced, you would be surprised how many times even in official meetings they manage to snark at each other subtly, but very clearly, and this is what will drive them to arrive before them, so they can be one step ahead.”_

_Cassandra will take this to her grave, she would never admit it, not under torture either, but she is in awe._

_Of her knowledge, of the way her brain works, it’s clear she is remarkable in her field, but she doesn’t like to show it off, she fulfills her task quietly and effortlessly, in an almost humble way._

_Cassandra hopes the Prime Minister gives her enough credit, actually, she asks herself how she must be treated by her equals if that’s her main level of expertise. Some might be impressed by her, inspired even, but many probably see her as a threat, they will probably act even worse because she is a woman._

_God knows how much the same thing has happened to her._

_And Cassandra hasn’t exactly been different, she hasn’t made things easy for her, she has kept her at distance since the moment she met her, when instead she has been nothing but polite and patient, from the beginning the only thing she asked of Cassandra was respect for her and her profession, and the spy has barely involved her in anything._

_Maybe she really should try to make an effort, they are stuck with each other after all._

_She carefully takes one of the chairs from the table of the room and drags it in front of the couch, dropping on it in a swift movement. Then she waits._

_The diplomat looks at her, surprise written all over her face “What… what are you doing?”_

_“Listening.”_

_“W… what?”_

_“You are my consultant in this mission, so I am listening to your… consultation, or information, or whatever.”_

_“Are you messing with me?”_

_“I am letting you do your job… I am not always difficult to work with.”_

_Surprisingly, she starts chuckling, it’s brief, it’s light, it’s unexpected, but she recovers almost immediately “Okay, what do you want to know?”_

_“Since you brought up Russians, tell me about the Americans next. We can even exchange data I suppose, I run into a bunch of CIA agents in my previous missions.”_

_“I can work with that...” she appears more relaxed, the tension in her shoulders Cassandra has gotten used to see, is lessening before her eyes, but not completely gone, Elsa comes back to her dossier, this time turning it so Cassandra can read too, “Let’s start then.”_

Elsa keeps fidgeting with the Moonstone, looking at it curiously “Can I be honest with you?”

Cassandra raises from the bed and absentmindedly replies: “Always.”

“Do you think it’s right for us to have it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are we, as UK, as MI6, indeed the right people to have this kind of information thrusted upon us?”

The question lingers in the air, Cassandra stops doing whatever she is doing, turning to the diplomat, who is not paying attention to her, her eyes entirely focused on the drive in her hand.

She keeps talking, like she is lost in her thoughts, but walking through them out loud: “Its purpose was to fuel the rivalry between the US and Russia, it was designed to increase the rift between them. The UK thought it would be better to intervene to mediate, in the end we are not an involved party, we don’t gain or lose anything from this. But are we really that different from them?” she closes her fingers around it and finally raises her gaze to meet Cassandra’s “We stepped up because we expected the worst, and feared that one of the parties would try to get the better of the other, but… we could do the same.”

“They ordered us to retrieve it, to prevent any sort of tension.” Cassandra states it as a matter of fact, but it’s almost an automatic response, she is just repeating her orders.

“Yes, for safekeeping, or at least they said so. But what I am saying is… this is classified information that could be useful for _anyone_ , what could stop _us_ from using it against _them_?”

“You mean… our country could benefit from the situation and use the drive to best both CIA and KGB. We could gain something from it… And the worst thing is that we would have nothing to lose.”

The moment she says it, she lets herself really think about it, it takes clear shape in her head.

“Is an idea so absurd?”

“No. Not at all.” Cassandra narrows her eyes “It would be smart even.”

“It would be wrong. It would be a violation of the trust between countries.”

“You think they expect us to be better? Or that we will exploit this data?”

“They will only see the worst, like we did. That’s what drove us to act in the first place.”

The wheels in Elsa’s brain are spinning so fast, and Cassandra is keeping up, following her train of thoughts, and honestly, she can’t disagree with her, everything she is saying might be an actual possibility.

In her job she had to make a lot of difficult decisions, she tried not to question them and to follow her orders through and through, after all, if she couldn’t trust her country, who could she trust?

And luckily for her, what she thought was right and what they told her to do always coincided.

She never stopped to think what she would do if there ever came the day where these two things diverged.

Her mouth opens before she can even stop herself “It should be destroyed. It would be easier this way, safer even.”

It’s dangerous thinking, for someone it could vaguely sound as treason, but she will never stop speaking her mind for the sake of her job. She might be a spy, a trained killer, but she still has a conscience, and this is Elsa she is talking to, in the last few weeks Cassandra has been opening up to her in a way she has never done with anyone else. She has seen more of her than she would like to admit.

Cassandra is almost afraid of her reply.

“I agree.”

Those two words feel like a huge weight is coming off Cassandra’s shoulders, she is glad they are on the same page even in this, they might come from different worlds, but their morals are aligned.

“I wish I could tell you to wreck it, right here, right now.” Elsa puts it down on the bed, intertwining her fingers now free, and leans on her hands breathing deeply “But the MI6 and the Prime Minister…”

“They would never let us do it.”

“No, they wouldn’t…”

Cassandra crouches in front of her, so they are at the same level, and pulls the blonde’s hands away from her face “Listen, let’s make a deal: we keep it for now, and we worry about getting out first, that’s our priority. When we are far from here and from people trying to kill us, we’ll think about this. Deal?”

Elsa pursues her lips and brushes one of Cassandra’s lock from her forehead “Deal.”

“I have to go now.”

“Be safe.”

“Didn’t we go through this already?”

“But you are leaving again, aren’t you?”

“Fair enough.”

_The moment she steps into the room, there is no one who doesn’t turn to look at her._

_How could they, she is the most beautiful sight anyone could ever set eyes upon._

_Her hair is still in the signature braid, but it’s kept by a few crystal pins, and they match perfectly with her light blue suit. On her shoulders and on her back, there are complicated embroideries that recall snowflakes._

_She is radiant, in every sense of the way._

_She moves so gracefully, like she is walking on water, she doesn’t look like something of this world._

_From the bar, Cassandra spots her, and at first, she is completely entranced by her, just like everyone else, but then proceeds to choke on her drink, realization hitting her like a punch in the gut._

_She shouldn’t be here so out in the open. She shouldn’t be here at all._

_Cassandra taps her earpiece once, hoping hers is turned on, if not, she won’t hesitate to drag her back to the room by force, she is not sure she won’t still do it, no matter the case “Elsa?”_

_Elsa pretends to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear to adjust her own device “I’m here, I can hear you.”_

_“Good.” she carefully looks around her to make sure no one is seeing her talking “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” she hisses._

_The blonde has the decency to appear startled “I know what I am doing.”_

_“You clearly don’t. Go back upstairs. Right now.”_

_From the bar Cassandra can see her searching the room with her eyes, when they settle on her, she takes a breath “Where is she?”_

_“She’s at the blackjack table, but it has nothing to do with you. I’m serious, leave. Now.” it doesn’t matter the distance, she can still glare at her from afar._

_But she is not listening to anything Cassandra is saying, “What does she look like?” instead she is poking her head out to spot the target “We have to get that information out of her. And I can make her talk.”_

_“I can do that, that’s my freaking job. You, on the other hand, are not supposed to be here. And you very much can’t go have a chat with a full trained, highly lethal, CIA agent. Especially not Adira!” Cassandra wishes she could focus on what she came to do, but she can’t if she is afraid for Elsa’s life, who clearly doesn’t know what she is getting herself into “I knew this would happen… This is why I work alone! And you have no training… Seriously, do you have a death wish or something?”_

_“You are the one who said that she has met you before, that she knows you well, and if you approach her, you will risk revealing our presence, or worse, the British involvement. You need someone above suspicion, who can distract her and blend in. I am your best option.”_

_Cassandra is really starting to get exasperated and can’t help but snap: “Everyone has been staring at you from the moment you set foot into the room, how much do you think you are blending in?”_

_Cassandra notices her biting her lip, as if she is evaluating the true meaning behind her words, as if she is not aware of the effect that her presence can have on everyone around her. Cassandra included._

_She clears her throat “That’s good, if everyone is looking at me, it will be easier to get closer to her, she will think I am only a harmless pretty face searching for someone to offer me a drink.”_

_It’s a good plan honestly, the same old story, a beautiful woman luring her poor victim to give her information, men and women have fallen for that many embarrassingly times._

_It wouldn’t even take any kind of brute force, Cassandra wouldn’t have to draw Adira away and get what she needs out of her with her fists, like she usually does. But it’s a risky plan, nonetheless._

_Elsa could probably charm the birds out of trees, but this includes directly putting her life in danger._

_And Adira is not a simple agent, as much as it pains Cassandra to admit it, she is one of the best in the field._

_“No.”_

_“It’s a good idea.”_

_“You have no idea how to deal with a situation like this.”_

_“If something happens, you can intervene. But let’s hope it won’t be necessary.”_

_“Miss Arendelle, Adira is not someone you want to mess with, and she is not naïve either.”_

_“Agent Knight, I have come here to assist you in the mission, let me do that.” she pauses “I have to just let her talk, it’s not different from my usual job. Trust me, I got this.”_

_And the worst thing is that Cassandra wants to trust her, she knows that she is more than capable of handling herself, but not to the point of letting her step directly in the field, it might be too much._

_But after all, she doesn’t really have other options, Adira knows her, too well even, and they need that information. Mission comes first, it has to come first._

_She rubs her forehead, begrudgingly giving in “Fine, okay. But please be careful.”_

_“Of course.”_

_“The moment you see, hear, or feel something is up, even if it’s minimal, you tell me, and I’ll get you out in no time.”_

_“Okay.” she nods “What do I do if I need help? I can’t exactly scream.”_

_“While you speak, say something that I can immediately understand. A safe-word.”_

_“Like what?”_

_Cassandra thinks it over, she needs something quick and that they both know the meaning of._

_Then Elsa’s voice rings in her ear again “Oh, I know one.”_

_“What do you have?”_

_“If I need backup, I am going to say: toddler in a suit.”_

_Considering the seriousness of the situation, Cassandra shouldn’t laugh, there is literally nothing funny about any of it, but she can’t help herself, she barely manages to turn the laughter into a cough “You are. Unbelievable. How long have you been trying to hold this one?”_

_“A while. And I’ll take that as a compliment.”_

_“If you even manage to put it into a context that actually makes sense, I will never say one more bad thing about politicians, I swear.”_

_“I’ll hold you to that.”_

_Then her breath becomes shallow, nervousness is starting to get her._

_Cassandra is not exactly doing better, her heart is going to come out of her chest sooner or later, what they are trying to do it’s pretty dangerous, a slip could cost them everything._

_But Elsa is not stupid, and perhaps, if someone can fool Adira, it’s most likely her._

_“Hey, you can go back right now” she tries, hoping Elsa will take her offer to get away “you don’t have to do it, let me.”_

_Elsa takes a deep breath and shakes her head slightly “No, I got this. You are not changing my mind.”_

_“You can’t blame me for giving it a try.” she sighs, they just don’t give her a partner all of a sudden, they even assign her a crazy one “She is the woman with white hair, she has a red tattoo around her eye.”_

_“That’s… unusual. Okay I’m going.”_

_Cassandra must give her that though, she has guts._

_“Good luck.”_

_“Stay close.”_

_“Not planning on going anywhere.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are done with chapter 2, so blessed. so moved. so grateful. Can't believe this is my life. never going to take it for granted.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra gets beaten a lot, I am so sorry.  
> I love you Cass.
> 
> Special thanks to Fromthestonymountains who drew an amazing piece of art, inspired by this fic. Thank you, you made my day, I am extremely grateful and quite honored.  
> https://fromthestonymountains.tumblr.com/post/630172951015194624/casino-de-monte-carlo-inspired-by-an-ongoing

Around the 5th or maybe the 6th punch Cassandra spits blood.

“You know, when I am going to get free of these.” she moves her tied wrists to make her point “I am going to punch your teeth so down your throat, you will need help to brush them.”

Her huge captor doesn’t show any sign of fear, he looks at her like she is nothing more than an annoyance. Or a mosquito.

He hasn’t said a word, so she can’t even tell if he is Russian or American.

Then she sees the door opening, and two people come in: one of them is a man, as big as the one she has had to deal with until now, they look basically the same, probably related, twins even.

Yet the worst thing is that Zhan Tiri herself is the other one.

Cassandra looks awful, her lip has split open at least three punches ago, her left eye is black, and the right one probably doesn’t look any better, a rivulet of blood is streaming down her temple.

She has every intention to repay every single bruise the moment she gets free.

“How is our honorable guest?” her tone is smooth and vicious, she doesn’t even pretend to hide her satisfaction.

Cassandra grits her teeth “Look who it is, I didn’t think you would still be around, I was almost starting to think you forgot about me.”

“My dear, I could never. You are most valuable to me.”

“Lucky me.”

Then the woman’s attention shifts again to the first man “Did you get the Moonstone?”

Cassandra’s thoughts run to Elsa, and relief and concern wash over her at the same time.

She is glad she told her to stay behind, luckily, she was smart enough to leave the Moonstone to her, when she went to meet Zhan Tiri. It’s a small victory, but a victory all the same.

She feels less guilty right now because of it, less naïve, not seeing coming Zhan Tiri’s betrayal, being blindsided by her is a tug of shame.

She really should have known better, been more careful.

If she hadn’t given the Moonstone to Elsa, then Zhan Tiri wouldn’t have simply turned her in to the Russians and the Americans to do whatever they pleased, she would have turned her _and_ the Moonstone.

Or worse, Elsa could be here too.

The diplomat soon will realize something is wrong and find a way to get out of there, even without her, she is clever, and will probably manage, and above all she knows the drill: fulfilling the mission comes before everything, the Moonstone is the priority.

It’s better this way.

Cassandra knows it too, it doesn’t make it less painful to accept it though. Even when you know from the start that there is a possibility you could get left behind, all the awareness in the world can’t make it any easier.

Her consolation is that the MI6 will get the Moonstone, F will know what to do, and above all, Elsa will be safe, she will get back to her life as if she had woken up from a bad dream. But at least she will be alright.

One of Cassandra’s regrets is that she won’t get to see her again.

_“Does it hurt?”_

_Elsa traces with her fingers the bruise on Cassandra’s temple, they are slightly cold but it’s not an unpleasant feeling, and Cassandra flinches, but it’s not exclusively related to the pain._

_She should pull away, but she doesn’t find in herself the strength to do it, or the will._

_“It’s superficial, no big deal.” she tries to dismiss it, but Elsa doesn’t seem convinced, she stands to go look for something in her drawer and comes back a moment later with a first aid kit, settling back on the bed._

_“There is no need.” Cassandra shakes her head, but the sudden movement makes her feel dizzy and she hopes in vain that the blonde won’t notice, but obviously she does, she never misses a thing._

_She narrows her eyes at her “Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t let it get infected.”_

_Cassandra should know by now that it’s futile to argue with her._

_Elsa pours a few drops of disinfectant on a gauze and slowly approaches the wound, but the moment she touches it, Cassandra can’t help but hiss._

_“Stay still.”_

_“Easy for you to say.”_

_“I’ll be quick. Try to grab something, it will take your mind off the pain.”_

_If that’s even possible, it hurts even more the second time around, and Cassandra doesn’t think, and grips the first think she finds: Elsa’s wrist. But the woman doesn’t push her away, she lets her hold on to her, even when she gets squeezed a few times too forcefully, she doesn’t complain once, and Cassandra is silently grateful for it._

_She feels a little like a child in this moment, she has rarely had someone to take care of her, and she can’t deny that a part of her enjoys it and savors it. The fact that is Elsa doing it, it’s an entirely different matter._

_“I’m almost done.” she reassures her, in response Cassandra hums closing her eyes._

_“Thank god.”_

_Elsa faintly strokes the other’s hand “Don’t be such a baby.”_

_“A little gratitude would be appreciated, miss Arendelle.” she teases her, opening an eye “I got into a fight to defend your honor after all.”_

_“My honor was fine, you intervened because otherwise we would have been caught.” her mouth quirks into a little smirk “And I think you enjoyed it a little too much.”_

_Cassandra’s eyebrow shoots up “Are you questioning my professionalism?”_

_“Am I wrong assuming that CIA agent was some sort of archenemy of yours?”_

_“… more like a personal annoyance.”_

_“This just proves my point.”_

_“Look, Adira and I go way back. Have we butted heads before? Yes. Has she tormented me endlessly and kicked my ass more times than I could count? Absolutely. Did I take advantage of the situation tonight to give her a well-deserved lesson that I have been waiting to give her for years? Maybe.” Cassandra mutters through her teeth bitterly “If I am the one who made her bite the dust this time, it’s not payback, it’s karma.”_

_A chuckle escapes from Elsa “Now that’s more likely.” she puts the gauze on the bed “She sounds like she gave you a really hard time in the past.”_

_“You don’t know the half of it.” Cassandra huffs moving a lock of hair from her face “You on the other end, are no better than me, you tripped her, miss diplomat. I didn’t think you had it in you…” she points a finger at her, making a circle in the air “I guess you can do more with those heels than walking and looking down on people.”_

_“The only thing I did was giving her… a little nudge.” Elsa bits her lip pensively “My sister is the woman of action between us, once she knocked her ex-boyfriend out with a single punch.” there is fondness in her tone, she must love her very much if simply mentioning her makes her so happy._

_Cassandra asks herself how it must feel to have a sister, or have a family, it’s not like she knows much about it. It has always been just her and her father against the world._

_“It was a little clumsy, but effective. And you bought me time to react, so I am not going to complain...” she clears her throat “Thanks by the way, for that. I had the situation under control but… thanks.”_

_“Like you said, you had it under control, but I am glad I could help… you are welcome…” Elsa starts gently touching Cassandra’s face examining her work, her expression turns into a grimace “This is all my fault… it’s because of my plan that you got hurt, I’m sorry.”_

_“Yeah, it had a few setbacks. But don’t worry, this...” Cassandra vaguely waves at her temple “it’s all part of the job. It would be weird not to have bruises after a mission.”_

_Elsa is almost afraid to look directly into her eyes “Aren’t you mad that I… took the initiative?”_

_Cassandra snorts “I was at first, because it was terribly stupid to risk like that, and you shamelessly ignored every single one of my warnings. Perhaps I should have dragged you back by force, that might have worked, you clearly listen to no one but yourself.”_

_At least Elsa has the decency not to object and appears slightly guilty._

_“But then I was impressed, because you were actually good at that, and now I am truly convinced you could make anyone do anything for you… you might even be a good spy with little training.” Cassandra shrugs and tilts her head, reflecting further “Maybe if Adira hadn’t been so enamored to follow you, we could have gotten away with it more easily, but sometimes accidents happen. And we handled ours pretty well.” she stops thinking carefully on her next words “Still, it was extremely rash, and careless, you can’t blame for being worried.”_

_Elsa’s brow furrows “Why would you be? You thought I was going to blow up our cover?”_

_“Beyond that” she gently moves Elsa’s hand away from her face and lets it rest on the bed, she lingers a little before letting it go “it was a matter of your safety too.”_

_Elsa flickers her eyes at her “I already told you, you don’t have to worry about me.”_

_“You really are one of a kind. Pretty reckless for a diplomat, if you ask me.”_

_“I apologize for that, but if it helps… I did succeed.”_

_They are so close, Cassandra is completely engulfed in Elsa’s scent, and she doesn’t know how or why, but she feels a strong pull towards her, getting stronger by the minute._

_Elsa falls quiet, and for a moment Cassandra believes she sees something in her eyes, but it’s too quick to catch. She is too good at hiding how she feels._

_She would really make a great spy._

_“You don’t exactly make my job easier, but I guess it could have gone worse...” Cassandra dares to look back, once again she finds her unwavering, “You are far from what I was expecting.”_

_Elsa responds almost playful: “Careful, agent Knight, or I might start thinking you are changing your mind about politicians.” she probably doesn’t expect a real answer, but there is clearly a deeper meaning behind her words. Like everything she usually says._

_Yet Cassandra has never been anything but blunt, and she replies: “Never” she turns to the wall to avert the other’s gaze “but maybe not all of them are bad.” when she lifts her head, she finds a pair of piercing blue eyes staring at her, and under those watchful eyes she has never felt more naked._

“She doesn’t have it, she hid it, or she already delivered it. I have been trying to get its location out of her, but she is not talking.”

“There are no other agents from MI6 in Montecarlo, the drive must be still here.”

She hears steps coming towards her, but her ears struggle to hear properly, and her sight is still foggy.

A face gets extremely close to hers “I like you Cassandra, I like your spirit, and I always thought you were wasted in the MI6. You could have done so much more if only you had worked for me.”

Cassandra scoffs, glaring at Zhan Tiri “Thanks for the offer, but I am not really looking for employment.”

“A pity, really.”

She tucks her hands behind her back “You are stubborn, I know that. But you are not stupid, you know you lost. Give me what I want now.”

“Not going to happen, sorry…” she narrows her eyes “besides, who do you work for? You have been in the MI6 for years, how much did they offer you to make you betray your own country? Your own people?”

“When you have done this job for as many years as I have, you find that countries, loyalties, don’t really matter...”

“You don’t care you might be starting a war?”

“If I had, why would I have made that drive in the first place?”

Cassandra’s eyes widen and she raises her head with a snap “It was you?”

“Clever right? Exploiting the idiotic rivalry between two countries, the quickest to fire, and I won’t even need to push them to do anything, they will mark their own destruction. And of course, so will the UK.

The MI6 would never sit still, they would never pass the chance to be ahead of their counterparts, they will be dragged into this mess without a chance to escape. Maybe it’s time for a lesson for all of them.”

“Why are you doing this?”

She clenches her fist “Everything you do will never be rewarded, you will never be anything but a pawn, you will just keep running against the current. What’s the point? Why should I be the one taking orders, when I can be the one giving them? This way I won’t be invisible anymore.”

“Do you have any idea how many people will be endangered because of your need of attention? Our job has never been about rewards, it’s about doing whatever it takes to make the world safer.”

“Stupid child, nothing you do will ever make the world safer, there will always be something, or someone who would lead the world to the edge of chaos, or destruction. Men are not capable of keeping peace.” Zhan Tiri laughs, it’s chilling, it makes Cassandra cringe “This stupid idealism is one of the things I hate more about that place, and one of the things that usually gets more of us killed every day. How much of your soul do you think you sacrificed doing things for the sake of your country?”

“I won’t debate with a crazy ego maniac about what it means to do the right thing, I won’t waste my breath like this. Just kill me already and be done with it, because mark my words, I won’t give you the Moonstone.”

_In the corner of her eye, Cassandra notices a white shadow walking past the doorframe._

_It seems she is not the only one awake at this hour._

_She should mind her own business, stick to the reports in her hands, even if with Elsa they are slightly more civil, it doesn’t mean they are friends. Seriously, she should just keep to herself._

_Yet the more she tries to focus, the more she finds herself rereading the same sentence without catching its meaning. Her attention has shifted for tonight, and she can’t do much about it now, and it’s pretty late too._

_She puts the file to the side and slides down from the bed._

_When she goes into the sitting room, Elsa is there, on the armchair in the corner._

_Cassandra clears her throat to make her presence known “It’s late. What are you doing up?”_

_Not even remotely startled, Elsa turns to look at her and shrugs “I… tend to overthink... Sometimes I don’t sleep well, sometimes I don’t even sleep at all.” she tucks her knees to her chest, she looks younger like this, almost childlike, her finger keeps tapping on the glass as her gaze gets lost into nothing “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you or disturb you.”_

_Cassandra doesn’t know why she has come, but restlessness is something she can relate to, and normally, she wouldn’t hesitate to break off any sort of sentimentalism or closeness, but deep down maybe she doesn’t want to be alone tonight._

_“You didn’t, I was already awake.”_

_“What’s your excuse if you don’t mind me asking?”_

_“I don’t have one, I was just reviewing something.” she points at her own room, the door is open, and her bed filled with papers sticks out._

_Elsa pierces her lips tilting her head “I can’t tell if you are a workaholic or a perfectionist.”_

_“You are the one to talk, little miss perfect.”_

_Their banter is easy, familiar, but Cassandra knows something is up, she is waiting for her to say why she is really here, but if she waits for her, she will probably wait forever. Elsa often calls her out on her own reluctance, but she is as much as reserved as she is, and truth is, she is mildly curious._

_“Do you need anything?”_

_Elsa grips the glass of water in her hand and shakes her head “When I have nights like this, I usually go to my sister, she’s the only one who seems to have this power to calm me down. But now… I obviously can’t.”_

_There is an uneasiness in her, a faint tremor of her hands, there is probably something that makes her jittery. Cassandra leans on the wall, settling to keep her talking as a distraction “How is she like? Your sister? You mentioned her before.”_

_Those words are more soothing than she thought, she sees Elsa visibly loosen up, her face opening into a fond smile “She is the person I love the most in the world... We are opposites in every way, she is a force of nature, so vibrant, sometimes her cheerfulness can be quite overbearing, especially if you are like me, and appreciate some peace and quiet from time to time, but she loves deeply, unconditionally. Being on the other side of that love can be something extraordinary. I couldn’t imagine my life without her...”_

_Weirdly Cassandra understands perfectly what she is saying, it’s how she feels about her best friend Rapunzel, and judging by the way Elsa describes her sister, they are not really that different, maybe they could even get along if they met. The trouble would be double._

_“She seems wonderful.”_

_“She is, I think that Anna could charm everyone she meets.”_

_“It must run in the family then.”_

_After she says it, her eyes widen._

_She doesn’t know what the hell was that. What possessed her to even say it out loud._

_She blames the sleep-deprivation, or the stress, that must be the reason._

_It must have caught off guard Elsa too, because she blinks a couple of times before resuming her talking, she clears her throat and moves forward, thankfully for Cassandra’s sanity._

_“So… do you? Have someone like that?”_

_“Kinda? I mean, does a best friend count?” grateful for the change of topic, Cassandra sighs a breath of relief “She is literally a true sunshine. I don’t think I have ever met someone like her, who is_ _able to break any sort of walls or barriers she encounters.”_

_“She sounds great.”_

_“I hated her at first, all that positive attitude was insufferable.” Cassandra crosses her arms, letting herself feel the missing of her friend, she keeps talking without realizing it “But she makes people feel understood, always worthy of love and appreciation. I don’t know how she does that, she got to me too.”_

_“That really sounds miraculous.”_

_“You think you are so funny, Arendelle.”_

_“I am a bit.”_

_“I’ll let you know, I am not such a menace to bear_ … _I’m a bit blunt, but some people find it fascinating. Some might say it’s part of my charm.”_

_“Perhaps people who are lured to sharpness… like the ones who enjoy diving lessons with sharks.”_

_Cassandra can’t stop the surprised choking sound that comes out of her throat, but she recovers quickly “This thing you do, seriously, it’s exhausting. I can never tell if you are insulting me or praising me.”_

_“Maybe it’s part of my charm…” she leans over to put her glass on the piece of furniture near her, there is a little smirk on her face, it’s still evident despite the dark._

_The spy snorts, shaking her head a bit, the banter is one thing, but the teasing is unexpected to say the least. And not entirely unwelcomed._

_“Everyone sees you as this cold unapproachable being… when in reality you are just an insufferable smartass.”_

_Now it’s her turn to gasp: “Did you just call me a smartass?”_

_“So, what if I did? You are not this posed controlled woman you want other people to think you are.”_

_Elsa waits a couple of beats before shooting back: “And you are not even remotely unattached as you like to pretend to be.”_

_Without even realizing it, Cassandra kinda got played by her, allowing herself to relax and make fun of each other. Letting something slip._

_Elsa even smiles like a child, proud of herself, Cassandra shouldn’t find it adorable, yet she secretly does._

_There are too many things she is starting to notice, to like in her, she should stop, but she apparently can’t seem to. Maybe she doesn’t even want to._

_“I really miss my sister, I feel lost without her...” then with a huff, she stands up “I’m sorry, I should go. I bothered you enough, and you really should get to sleep.”_

_Cassandra parts from the wall almost bouncing “Oh, yeah, sure…”_

_“Goodnight, agent Knight. And thank you… for distracting me.”_

_She’s almost at the door when something clicks in Cassandra’s brain, she doesn’t know what comes over her, but blurts out: “You can call me Cassandra, or Cass, if you want.” she waves her hand in the air “I mean… not we are not in the open, you can’t call me by my name, for safety precaution. But you can, when we are alone… we are stuck with each other, it’s pointless for you to call me agent all the time.”_

_Wonder of wonders, she smiles, it’s bashful, but it might be the warmest smile she has ever given her, Cassandra gets a bit starstruck by it, “You called me Elsa before.”_

_“Oh, sorry, it slipped, I didn’t mean-”_

_“It’s okay.” she cuts her off gently “You can keep calling me that… when we are alone of course.”_

_“Right.”_

_“Right.”_

_“Well, goodnight Cassandra.”_

_“Goodnight Elsa.”_

_When Cassandra gets back to her room, she realizes how much she came close to tell her she didn’t bother her, that actually, it felt nice talking to her, awfully easy, but she thanks whatever god there is out there, who kept her from saying something idiotic like that and embarrassing herself further._

_This really is a weird night._

“The reports painted someone more cynical actually, not so… deluded by such wishful thinking.” she keeps toying with her, maybe she is hoping to break her with her taunting “I never would have taken you for an optimist. What happened to the young promise of the MI6? Their cold and calculated pupil, the perfect soldier?”

Cassandra lets her head hang, squeezing her eyes to make the headache pass, with no use “It’s the exhaustion, hearing so much bullshit all at once does that to people.”

It’s so fast, if Cassandra hadn’t been so worn out, she would have fought back, but unfortunately, she can’t do much, Zhan Tiri grabs her by the chin and forces her to look at her “Now you are just testing my patience, I am getting tired of this game. Where is the Moonstone, agent Knight?”

“Like you said, I don’t have it, and certainly, neither do _you_.”

“You have interfered with my plans long enough.”

“I live to be an annoyance for people like you.”

“This brings me no joy, I warned you.” she makes a gesture to her two men, who until now had kept on their own, they raise at once, moving towards Cassandra with a very much clear intention.

“Do your thing, I don’t care, the Moonstone is probably already on its way to the MI6 as we speak. _Very far_ from you.”

One of the twins comes at her cracking his knuckles and she instinctively slouches back against her seating, he is already closing his fist and charging, and Cassandra mentally prepares for another blow.

“Wait.” Zhan Tiri’s strangely agitated voice makes him stop midair, and as Cassandra carefully opens her eyes she is met by the woman’s grin, that is so disturbing, it makes her skin crawl.

“I almost forgot.”

Cassandra is really tired of this stalling and she just spats “What now.”

Zhan Tiri tilts her head, giving her a look worthy of a mother who has just caught her child doing something naughty “You surprise me again, agent Knight.”

Cassandra’s brow furrows, now she is perplexed, because she genuinely doesn’t know what she is referring to, she is struggling to keep up with her train of thoughts “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t you? I took for granted you would want to keep things under control in person, that your need to overdo would be your downfall. After all, everyone knows how much distrusting you are and prefer to do everything by yourself…” she rubs her forehead still smiling to herself, as if she is amused by her own joke “But you weren’t sent to this mission by yourself this time, were you?”

That awakes something in Cassandra, she visibly stiffens before she could stop herself, now seeing where this is going. Her mouth runs dry.

“You actually did trust someone this time. You gave it to _her_. How foolish of me, how could I forget _her_?”

Cassandra begins pulling at her ties more frantically this time, even if she knows nothing has changed from before, and they won’t be slackened “Zhan Tiri…”

But she is not listening anymore, she turns to one of the henchmen and gives him the order “Find _her_ , find the _diplomat_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are done with the third chapter, I can't believe I have gotten this far. Just two more to go.  
> I swear I'll wrap this in a way that will make sense. I probably will disappoint someone, I don't know, I rarely know what I am doing.  
> Hope you have fun :)


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about the yearning and the pining and throwing professionalism out of the way

_Cassandra leans against the wall panting heavily._

_Her sight is blurry, her ears are ringing, there is literally nothing in her that doesn’t ache right now._

_The adrenaline is slowly leaving her body and is being replaced by numbness._

_The alert of the fight is slowly quieting down._

_She looks down at the bodies at her feet, of the three men who until a couple minutes ago have dragged her in this basement to attack her, they are colleagues in some ways, or she should say were at this point, they were agents like her, just doing their job._

_She is not proud of what she has done, she never is, taking a life is difficult and gives her no pleasure, it must always be the last resort. But it’s different this time, because she has never needed to put down another agent, but she had no choice, they were trying to kill her and Elsa._

_Elsa._

_In the commotion she forgot she wasn’t alone, panic feels her throat making more difficult for her to breathe “Elsa?” she looks around the basement erratically, the neon sign of the emergency exit barely lightens the surroundings, she squeezes her eyes to spot her “Elsa?”_

_There is no answer._

_“Elsa!”_

_“I’m here.” she finally responds, and Cassandra sighs in relief, her heartbeat so loud in her ears, bumping her head to the wall behind her. She spots her sitting against the door, her fists clenched to her chest._

_Her hair is messy, the locks are escaping her elaborate braid, there are stains of blood on her skirt. Cassandra approaches her as quickly as she can, that is not much, because she feels drained from the fight. Her hand doesn’t leave the wall, she is not sure she will be able to walk properly if she stops leaning on it._

_She stops to scan her body, at first sight, Elsa doesn’t appear injured, just a little shaken maybe._

_She is probably not used to violence like Cassandra, this wasn’t a fistfight like the one with Adira, she must be in shock, after seeing three men die before her eyes._

_A part of Cassandra is ashamed Elsa had to witness her doing something like that._

_She carefully lowers herself at her level and puts a hand on her arm, at first Elsa flinches, but recognizing her, relaxes a little under her touch._

_“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”_

_For a moment she thinks she hasn’t heard her, but then her voice comes, even if a little hoarse “I’m fine.” her hands twitch, she shoots a brief glance at her ruined dress “It’s… it’s not mine.”_

_“Okay good.” Cassandra finally lets go of the wall and stands on her own, still wobbling a little “We have to get out of here, can you walk?”_

_“What about… what about them?” her gaze turns to the bodies and her shoulders tense, but she doesn’t appear startled. Cassandra grips her shoulder to make her shift her attention back to her “Don’t think about them, look at me now.”_

_She doesn’t._

_“Elsa, look at me.” she reaches out with her other hand, so she can let her hold on her, or maybe she is the one holding on, it’s a blur at this point “I need you to focus on me and tell me if you are okay enough to walk. It’s important, we can’t stay here.”_

_Elsa finally turns to her, and takes the hand extended to her, finally standing up and taking back control of herself “I… yes, yes I am okay.” she replies firmer “I can walk.”_

_“Good. We have to get back to our room before anyone sees us.”_

_Elsa appears in some sort of daze, her eyes linger on Cassandra as if she can’t see her properly “There is blood on your face.”_

_Cassandra’s hand shoots back up at her face, but she stops when she feels a cold touch on her cheekbone, Elsa starts rubbing it gently with her thumb “Here, it should be gone now…”_

_“T… thanks.” she clears her throat “Let’s go.” not trusting her to walk on her own, she holds on the hand in hers and opens the door, leading the way._

_Luckily for them, the hallway is clear, Cassandra walks ahead, and Elsa stands straight, her pace steady._

_The spy is perplexed, she has reacted surprisingly well despite what she has seen in the last hour, not everyone manages to be this unfazed. She settles to keep an eye on her for the time being, maybe she hasn’t fully realized what’s happened. People respond differently to trauma._

_When they are finally back in their room, Cassandra feels free enough to breathe properly, and lets herself slide to the ground, releasing Elsa from her grasp._

_The diplomat doesn’t even spare her glance, she stumbles to the bedroom and seals the door shut._

_After a few minutes Cassandra raises and starts ripping her clothes, which are long wrecked by now._

_Soon she is left only in her underwear, like this it’s easier for her to see the damage: she’s covered in bruises, her left arm and both legs are a battlefield, and considering the punch she took in the face before she could stop it, her eye will be turning blue soon. But overall, she is fine, she has had worse, she’ll recover in no time._

_That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt like a bitch when she moves._

_“Fucking men...”_

Cassandra wakes up with a startle, she must have dozed off for a few minutes or so.

Her head is ringing like a bell.

When her sight gets clearer, she recognizes the shapes of Zhan Tiri and her henchmen, then her eyes settle on a very familiar silhouette and her blood runs cold.

She gives a forceful tug at her ties, it’s desperate and useless, but she tries anyway, they will have to give in at some point. Her action catches everyone’s attention, Zhan Tiri smirking at her with too much teeth.

_Seriously she really gives me the creeps._

Surprisingly untied, as polished as ever, Elsa is there.

She shouldn’t be, she should be safe, miles and miles away from there, the fact that they managed to get to her makes Cassandra sick.

“Oh agent Knight, how wonderful, you are awake. We were just talking about you.”

“This has nothing to do with her, let her go.”

“Oh, but dear, I didn’t have to go look for her, _she_ came to me.”

Cassandra stills.

“As I was saying…” Zhan Tiri addresses Elsa directly “… she is alive obviously, in one piece… more or less.”

Elsa shoots a brief glance to Cassandra, but it’s too quick, her gaze already turning into a glare directed at the woman in front of her “You hurt her.”

“I had to, a little, she put up quite a fight.” she shakes his head like she is talking about a child “She gave trouble to four of my men before being knocked out. And she was being difficult about the location of the Moonstone.”

_And I would have kicked their asses too, if you hadn’t drugged me before, bitch._

The reply comes like a snap “I have it.”

“ _Elsa_.” outrage is dripping from Cassandra’s tone, but the blonde doesn’t appear affected, “You shouldn’t have come here. I got this under control.”

Elsa finally turns to her “Yeah, I can see that.”

“Seriously Elsa, walk away now.”

“It’s not an option.”

“It is if you put yourself at risk because of me. Whatever you are planning to do, it won’t work. It’s not worth it.”

 _I am not worth it_ she means to say.

“Shush now, dear. The adults are talking.” Zhan Tiri clears her throat “Besides, I highly doubt neither of you is going anywhere any time soon.”

“There is no need.” Elsa sighs, her attention back to her “As a British diplomat, and the highest authority of our government here, I have every right to dispose of the Moonstone as I please.” she straightens her back, looking as much as the politician that she is “I have come to bargain. As you mentioned before, this has never involved the UK in the first place, it’s a matter between Russia and the US. You can have the Moonstone, do whatever you wish, sell it to the best bidder, use it for your own gain, but let _her_ go.”

_She wakes abruptly, she is pretty sure she heard a scream._

_She doesn’t wait a second, and launches herself out of bed, running into Elsa’s room, ready to punch something “What is it? What’s wrong?”_

_She finds Elsa grasping the sheets around herself, as she pants for air, her forehead covered in sweat._

_She starts collecting herself, trying to slip in her usual controlled self, but the frown in her brow gives her away “Nothing, it’s nothing. I’m fine…”_

_Cassandra is starting to think that every time she says it, she doesn’t really mean it._

_“Are you sure?” she gets closer, but not too much to startle her, she is obviously in distress, she doesn’t want to scare her more._

_Maybe Cassandra underestimated her ability to deal with something like that._

_Maybe despite all she has been through, Elsa is not as unaffected as she thinks she is._

_“It was just a nightmare, nothing… nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep.” she tries to dismiss it, but she is not convincing, she rubs her face to wipe the sweat off her and moves unevenly, like she expects something to happen sooner or later._

_Cassandra should leave, she is not sure she is even capable of being helpful, she is the last person who could comfort someone. But she can’t leave her like this, she can’t be on her own right now._

_Then suddenly the blonde’s face turns into a pained expression “I am so sorry, I have been so insensitive, I was so focused on me that I left as soon as we got back, and I didn’t ask you how you were. Are you okay?”_

_Elsa Arendelle is truly a mystery, Cassandra can’t still quite place her: she manages to balance an almost cold rationality, with a stubbornness and a determination that lead her to the most unexpected and dangerous actions. She is unpredictable in every way, yet the sure thing is that she is unmistakably selfless, she is only driven by her wish to help, to do the right thing._

_She would never do anything that would possibly harm someone else. And that’s what makes her different, that’s what makes her good. The way she keeps putting aside her own wellbeing in favor of the others’ is remarkable, but at the same time concerning._

_“I am perfectly well, you don’t have to worry about me. You on the other hand…” she tries to sound soothing “You went through… something tonight, it’s perfectly normal to feel… weird.”_

_Elsa snaps her head at her “It’s not… I don’t feel… weird. I’m fine.”_

_“You are not.” Cassandra comes to sit at the foot of the bed, “You experienced something traumatic and-”_

_“I told you, this isn’t the first time I had to deal with violence.”_

_“But this is the first time you saw someone die. Someone getting killed.” she sounds harsh, but she can’t sweeten this for her, denying reality won’t help anyone._

_She didn’t notice when she came in, but Elsa’s hair is loose, she doesn’t think she has ever seen her in anything but her braid or any kind of complex hairstyle, yet now it is, she sees her passing her fingers through it trying to calm herself down, ruffling it even more._

_In the end she settles to lean on her hand, hiding her face behind it “I don’t know what you must think of me right now.”_

_Cassandra gulps and crosses her legs on the bed “It doesn’t matter what I think.”  
“It does, you are not the only one who cares about this mission. This means a lot to me too, the Prime Minister gave me this task, and there is a lot at stake, and I won’t… I have to be professional. I can’t let this… thing, that happened, get in the way... I’m supposed to be prepared, I should be able to deal with every complication.” she is rambling, her hands shaking, and starts faintly mumbling something to herself, but it’s so quiet, something about concealing, not feeling, Elsa keeps repeating it over and over again._

_Cassandra’s heart clenches at the sight, she has always known that the mask Elsa has put on since the moment she has met her was just a façade, but seeing it fall and shatter is an all other matter._

_Truth is, she never thought of it this way, she never thought that this mission was as much an opportunity and a responsibility to her as it is to her. Even if since the beginning they have told her that she couldn’t do this alone, that she would have to count on someone else too, she never fully wrapped her mind around it, that she is not on her own this time, until now._

_She has never felt the need to reach out to someone until now either._

_She hates seeing her like this, she very much prefers when she tries to make Cassandra open up to her, and she is hesitant, like she doesn’t know how it’s done either. At this point Cassandra would even take one of their conversations about politics, where Elsa tries to make her see how not everything is bad, and despite Cassandra sighing and rolling her eyes at every sentence, she never gives up. Her face lightens up in a resigned but fond smile, because she knows, that even between complains, Cassandra listens to all._

_She would do anything to see her anything but like this, to take away her fear._

_She puts her hand on her knee, it’s her way to offer her an anchor to reality “Listen, there is nothing wrong about how you are feeling.”_

_Her face emerges from her hand “But-”_

_“No.” Cassandra squeezes “No one, not even the strongest person in the world can shake off something like this, no one can. It changes you forever. So, no, I don’t think bad of you because seeing someone die got you shaken, actually, I would be more worried if you didn’t feel a thing.”_

_Even if it’s dark, Cassandra can still see her clearly, the way her face softens “I wish I didn’t.”_

_“No, you don’t.”_

_She hugs herself, stroking her own arms with a sigh “I don’t know how you do it. How you manage not to let it affect you.”_

_“Just because I do it often, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect me. I simply hide it better.” she tilts her head “I am not as ruthless as you think I am.”_

_“You are not ruthless” Elsa’s tone is much firmer than before “maybe a little rough around the edges, but you are a very gentle person…”_

_“No one ever called me gentle before.”_

_“Doesn’t make it less true.”_

_“There are a number of reasons why it’s not.”_

_“Sorry to break it to you, agent Knight, but you are actually a good person. You’ll just have to accept it.”_

_If Cassandra was still struggling to shake sleep off her, now she is definitely awake, even more alert._

_Worse, she feels exposed in some ways._

_But Elsa doesn’t call her out further, she simply rests her own hand on Cassandra’s, that is still firmly clasped on her knee, “Thank you.”_

_Cassandra nods, slightly awkward, and slowly withdraws, she twitches her hand without the other noticing. “Don’t mention it.” she moves to stand and pretends to brush her pants off dust “If… if you need anything… you know where to find me.”_

_She is almost at the door, when Elsa’s voice makes her stop in her tracks “Cassandra?”_

_Every time she calls her by her name, Cassandra feels a lightning bolt running through her body: it’s not her voice, it’s the way she says it, with a gravitas and a meaning no one ever showed._

_Cassandra dreads and savors the way it makes her feel._

_It’s not even intentional on Elsa’s part, it’s how she talks, another thing she is capable of doing, that manages to unsettle Cassandra. But this time she doesn’t sound at all like her usual self._

_“What is it?”_

_“Can… can you stay?”_

_Of all the things Cassandra could expect, this was not one of them._

_The disbelief must be evident on her face, because Elsa rushes to apologize “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that. Please ignore me I…” she hides her face behind her hands one more time, closing her eyes “It’s nothing… it’s okay, go, I’ll be fine.”_

_Cassandra should leave, Cassandra should run like hell._

_For the past weeks she has been walking a dangerous line, on the verge of a cliff, it would take just a little push to fall, and then the crash would be inevitable. She could try to pretend and deny it, but deep down she knows the truth. She has still time to stop before it’s too late._

_But there is something, a pull, a craving, that always leads her to Elsa, that she can’t ignore, and that is proof that Cassandra is not as strong as she thinks she is._

_“I don’t mind.”_

_It’s a lie obviously, she does mind, but not in a simple way, she minds because this is another thing that is getting her closer to the famous cliff, but Cassandra has always been an adrenaline junkie._

_“I don’t want to bother you, it’s just… I don’t want to be alone right now…”_

_“It’s not… it’s not a problem, really...” she pierces her lips trying to hide her restlessness “It might even be good for me not to be alone either.”_

_“Okay.”_

_“Okay.”_

_She can’t even look at her directly, she is afraid her emotions might be written all over her face, it’s not normal for her to be so open about how she feels._

_She tries to lighten the mood with a snarky comment: “But I am taking the left side.”_

_Elsa stares at her dumbfounded for a couple of seconds, then her reply comes in a soft snort “It’s all yours.”_

“You are forsaking your own country’s orders, to bargain for the life of _one_ agent?”

“Agent Knight is one of the best in the field, I am protecting an investment.”

Even if the word _investment_ does sting a little, Cassandra knows it’s just an act, Elsa is not so insensitive, and she can’t let her go on with her plan “Elsa, _no_.”

“ _Cassandra,_ stop undermining my authority.”

“Then stop being an idiot.”

“I am trying to save your _life_.”

“The mission is more important, you said that yourself.”

“I also said that priorities change.”

“You are risking the life of millions for just one life!”

“Because it’s not just _one life_ , it’s _yours_!” her voice raises, making possible to everyone she is not as uninvolved as she pretends to be, that this is more than a political trade for her.

She closes her eyes exhaling deeply, trying to compose herself.

“I see you have settled well into your roles of newlyweds… I almost hate to interrupt your lovers’ quarrel.” Zhan Tiri snickers calling them out “Didn’t they tell you at training that one of the first rules is _not to get involved_? Considering your reputation, I assumed you knew. Maybe I overestimated your abilities.”

Every word is a blow for Cassandra, she wants to fight back, to snarl, but there is no point in denying the truth. Making a scene surely wouldn’t help her cause.

They stopped being subtle and professional a while ago.

She knew where this was going and did nothing to stop it, she can’t blame anyone but herself.

She can’t even blame Elsa because she could never be mad at her, frustrated maybe, because she was supposed to be smarter than her, and go while she still could. Instead she decided to stay, for _her_.

Despite how foolish it is, Cassandra can’t ignore how it makes her feel, she shouldn’t feel good about this, yet deep down she does. It’s a primal instinct.

“Then you have no reason to doubt my words” Elsa admits defeatedly, still maintaining her tone firm “I will give the Moonstone to you if you let us be.” she outstretches her hand at her, slightly twitching “Do we have a deal?”

Zhan Tiri slides her own in hers and squeezes “Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have realized that I needed to add a chapter to wrap the story more nicely, so I am sorry, you'll have to bear me for a little while longer. Hope you stick around, because next time some real shit happens :)


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie to you, this chapter was HARD to write. I reread it so many time I can basically recite it. This is THE chapter, I hope you will love it :)

_“Seriously, I think it sounds stupid.”_

_“No, it doesn’t.”_

_“And yours is even worse, it’s weird too.”_

_“Both our aliases’ names are fine. Why you are the spy, therefore, definitely more used to these kinds of situations, and yet I am the one taking this better than you?”_

_“Because you are much nicer than me. And a people pleaser on top of that.”_

_An outraged gasp._

_“Rude… but true. Eden is a beautiful name though, I don’t get what you are complaining about.”_

_“Sure, Idina.”_

_“Stop.”_

_“Stop what.”_

_“Saying it like that.”_

_“I am not saying in a funny way, I am just repeating it. Idina.”_

_Elsa rolls her eyes, but can’t stop the smile from opening on her face._

_They have been seating on the bed for a couple of hours, it was supposed to be some sort briefing for them, to set up their next moves, a bullet proof plan, after all, the date of the bidding is around the corner._

_And they did for a while, yet now they look more like two simple girls goofing around on a sleepover._

_At some point, one of them should remember what they are, their roles, their mission, or they should be reminded of the fact that maybe they are getting too close, and they should be back to a hesitant tiptoe around each other. Like they usually do._

_Frankly, it’s exhausting, and quite annoying at times, it’s a delicate balance._

_But for now, that’s not what’s happening._

_“How does it work though?”_

_“What?”_

_“After the wedding, you got my last name, or did I get yours?”_

_“I mean, you are the heiress, maybe I got yours because you are the big deal.”_

_“Maybe we both got each other’s and now we have two of them.”_

_“Eden Espinosa-Menzel sounds extremely pretentious.”_

_“It does, even for me.”_

_“Idina Menzel-Espinosa…”_

_“The more you say it, the more it sounds odd, please stop.”_

_“Told you.”_

_It takes them exactly one minute before completely breaking into laughter, freely and loudly, Elsa hides her mouth behind her hand to suppress the giggles, but it’s no use, it gets worse and she even slides, her head falling on Cassandra’s shoulder._

_Surprisingly, the spy doesn’t flinch, actually, she secretly appreciates it, but she would never admit it._

_Then realizing what is happening, Elsa stills, like she is getting aware by the second she has crossed a line, and quietly pulls away, not really going very far, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear._

_“Sorry.” she coughs, evidently embarrassed, yet Cassandra is not annoyed by it, instead she can’t seem to stop looking at her, she doesn’t know what’s gotten into her today._

_“It’s okay.”_

_Maybe it’s because she’s tired of being stared at, or maybe it’s the way Cassandra has said it, in an unexpectedly soft way, but Elsa turns to her._

_Then something happens, her gaze flickers, and lingers on Cassandra’s lips, too long to pass without notice._

_Cassandra doesn’t have time to unpack all that, because before she can stop herself, she is already cupping Elsa’s face and drawing it towards hers. But Elsa doesn’t push her away, instead she kisses her back, maybe as desperately as her, and Cassandra’s brain completely shuts down, everything in her just awakening._

_It’s like coming alive all at once._

_The kiss is messy, but liberating, they barely gasp for air. They just keep clinging to each other like they have been waiting for ages to finally do something like that. And perhaps they have._

_At some point they move, Elsa has her back against the headboard, her fingers entangling in Cassandra’s hair, who is almost on top of her, almost, because when Cassandra registers what she is doing and especially where her hands are wandering, she abruptly stops, and in the rush of getting away, she practically rolls over her. Falling off the bed in the process._

_The thud suddenly startles them both and succeeds in waking them up from their haze._

_Elsa is the first to break the silence, reaching out with a hand “Oh my god, are you okay?”_

_Cassandra is already on her feet and trying to put as much distance as she can, so she can properly focus “I’m fine, I’m fine. Everything is fine.”_

_She brushes her hair with a hand to calm herself down, failing spectacularly._

_When she finally raises her eyes to meet hers, she doesn’t find any trace of anger or shame, there is something closer to hunger perhaps, and that unsettles Cassandra even more._

_Elsa’s back is still against the headboard, her arm moves to hug a knee to her chest, her fingers fidgeting with the sheets._

_Cassandra’s heartbeat is starting to pick up speed and thundering in her ears._

_She could pretend nothing happened._

_She could pretend she hadn’t daydreamed about it before._

_She could pretend that if she hadn’t stopped, she would have kept keep kissing her senseless until they were completely out of breath._

_But it would be cowardly. And useless._

_Elsa is too smart to fool. And Cassandra has always prided herself of how well she manages to compartmentalize, but it’s all gone now, how unattached can she be if she still feels her lightly cold touch on her skin? And worse, she can’t deny how much she wants it to happen again?_

_As much as she attempts to, she can’t shake the feeling from her._

_It comes out hastily, quickly: “I’m sorry, it was a mistake… I shouldn’t have done it.” it even pains her to say it, because it wasn’t a mistake for her, she wanted it, she has wanted it for so long “I don’t know what came over me. Don’t worry though, it won’t happen again, I will not-”_

_“No, we shouldn’t have.” Elsa interrupts her and stretches her leg, settling more comfortably on the bed, Cassandra struggles very hard not to let herself get distracted by it, and luckily for her, the blonde’s next words catch all her attention: “But I… I am not sorry that you did.”_

_The spy stiffens and slowly turns to look at her companion, searching in her eyes any signs of lie, but she finds none. Instead Elsa is biting her lip, betraying her own nervousness “Truth is… I wish you hadn’t stopped.”_

_She doesn’t know how it happened, how it was so fast, the moment before Cassandra was at the bathroom’s doorframe, the next she is on the bed, sitting on Elsa’s side and already leaning towards her. And the absurd thing is that Elsa doesn’t even hesitate, she simply meets her halfway, her hand wrapping around Cassandra’s neck to bring her even closer, if that’s possible._

_It’s deeper than the first, it’s one of those desperate kisses that you don’t know where it is going, that you never want to end, that it might lead to other things if you’ll just let it, that you just want to feel until it probably consumes you._

_But for humans it takes a lot more to come undone, even if the feeling gets pretty close to it._

Cassandra is not that naïve to believe that Zhan Tiri won’t kill them both without hesitation now that she gets her hands on the Moonstone, it’s literally their only leverage.

Maybe before when she thought she had fulfilled her mission and that Elsa was long gone, she had surrendered herself to the idea that this time she wouldn’t manage to escape.

But now everything is different, she has a purpose, a bigger motivation to fight back and not give up: the mission is not done yet, and she has to plan something so they can both get out of this.

Because if she can’t, they will die, and everything will be lost.

That’s why she can’t help but stare intently at every Elsa’s movement, the wheels in her brain already turning, as she slowly takes the drive from her suit’s pocket. For a moment she thinks she even sees a glint in Zhan Tiri’s eyes, who seems on the verge of leaping and snatching the object from her grasp herself.

Elsa takes a careful step towards Cassandra’s direction, but the moment she does, both the twins get closer.

She stops, gripping tighter the drive in her hand “Call them off.”

“Give me the drive, darling. And you are free to go to your _girlfriend_ , neither me nor my men will stop you.”

“How do I know you will keep your word? That you won’t kill us on the spot?”

“You don’t.” she shrugs “I guess we both have something to lose, the question is, who between us is more willing to take that risk.”

Elsa has her back against the wall, she doesn’t have much of a choice, but instead of handing the Moonstone, she does something unexpected, she slowly lowers, putting it to the ground.

She lifts her foot, her heel dangerously lingering on the drive, and everyone in the room just gasps.

Cassandra’s back stiffens against the chair.

Before anyone can say anything, or try to stop her, she adds: “Don’t worry, I am just taking a precaution.”

Then she taps the drive, swiftly kicking it in a corner of the room, sending it far from everyone.

It takes one, maybe two beats, then they start moving.

Both twins head for the drive, as Zhan Tiri watches twitching her fingers, Elsa strolls hastily towards Cassandra, crouching behind her to free her from the ties.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Cassandra whispers, as Elsa works on her restrains.

“We are not talking about this now.”

“When do you wanna talk about it, when they shoot us?”

With a final forceful tug, the ties come undone, and Cassandra snaps her wrists back, but before she could raise from the chair, Elsa’s hand on her arm keeps her put.

She circles the chair, coming to stand in front of a very much perplexed and frustrated Cassandra, still remaining at eye level.

Cassandra panickily shoots a glance behind her, where Zhan Tiri stands, now with the drive in her grasp, smirking wickedly at her henchmen, who have a weird look on their face.

The spy knows it well, it’s the look with someone who has orders, and who is about to fulfill them.

_“I am having a terrible thought.”_

_“You are not capable of anything bad, there isn’t a bone in your body capable of that.”_

_“Yet I am.”_

_“Tell me then.”_

_Their noses are touching, they are breathing each other’s air, distance is a concept at this point, but sometimes one inch can feel like miles._

_“I know it’s wrong, but a part of me doesn’t want it to end.”_

_Cassandra is starting to get aware of where this conversation is going, still she asks: “What?”_

_“The mission. A part of me wants to stay here, forget everything about the outer world.” Elsa settles her head more comfortably on Cassandra’s shoulder, lifting her gaze, she finds Cassandra already staring at her. “See? I told you it was terrible.”_

_“It’s not terrible.”_

_“Isn’t it?”_

_“No. Time in these things passes differently, it’s like being in a bubble. I have never been a fan of it in the past, but now...” Cassandra nuzzles into Elsa’s hair, letting herself savor the feeling “… I can see the appeal.”_

_“I don’t know if I should be happy about it, or disappointed in both of us.”_

_“Does your mind ever let you rest?”_

_“Does yours?”_

_“Touché.”_

_Much to her dismay, Elsa starts shifting from their embrace, and moves to a sitting position, briefly covering herself with the sheets, Cassandra remains entranced by her bare back, and absentmindedly begins tracing her spine with her fingers. Her mind keeps playing tricks on her, reminding her with particularly vivid images what they had been doing lately. The last one a couple of hours ago._

_Every stare, every whisper, every touch._

_She stops, clenching her hand into a fist, and deeply exhales._

_She really is in deep shit._

_She is burning so quietly and so much, and she is enjoying every second of it._

_Elsa’s voice makes her come back to reality: “I am not… this is not a thing I usually do.”_

_They have been delaying talking about this for a while, it’s time they stop avoiding it, Cassandra knows it, still it doesn’t make it easier._

_“Me neither... Don’t worry though, I am not-”_

_“No.” Elsa interrupts her, she closes her eyes before opening them again and turns to look at her “What I am trying to say, is that this is not a whim for me, Cassandra. You are not a pastime for me.”_

_The air gets knocked out Cassandra’s chest, when Elsa’s hand tries to reach for her, she immediately recoils._

_“You don’t know what you are saying.”_

_“Do you know what I am saying?”_

_“Yes.” Cassandra reluctantly gets out of the warmth of the bed to stand, it’s the last thing she wants, but she needs some space, picking up her shirt from the floor, she puts it on hastily “And you can’t possibly want that.”_

_“How can you be so sure.”_

_“I know that it can’t be me!” she doesn’t intend to snap, but she can’t help it, nothing makes sense, Elsa wanting her, maybe, wishfully, as much as she wants her, doesn’t make sense “I am not meant to settle, this is my job we are talking about, it’s not an easy one, but it’s my passion, my purpose. And it will never let me have a quiet and peaceful life, I would never put anyone through that, I could never ask anyone that.” she tries to tame her hair, it probably looks like her now, a complete mess “Not to mention, I have a terrible personality and a huge baggage of issues, very few people manage to put up with this.” she waves at herself and falls on the armchair with a huff, tucking her head to the side “It’s just not possible, I am a lot to deal with…”_

_It’s awfully quiet for a moment, then Elsa breaks it: “Not to me.”_

_They are three simple words, yet Cassandra took bullets that hurt less._

_“Elsa…”_

_“No, listen” with the sheets still firmly enveloped around her, she slowly walks to her and grabs the armrests, caging her in the chair, she is so close Cassandra can pinpoint her eyelashes “I… I never planned for this to happen, but it did, and I have to be honest with you, but especially with myself: I feel something for you. And I know your profession it’s not exactly the easiest… or the safest… and you are probably afraid that could get in your way but I… I think I can handle it.” she gives her a small smile, but there isn’t humor in it, it almost seems sad “Of course, if you don’t feel the same it’s fine, I would never assume…”_

_“Oh god no” Cassandra blurts out without thinking “I totally do.” she closes an eye, embarrassed by her own slip “I said it out loud, didn’t I?”_

_Elsa chuckles, a blush spreads on her cheeks as she tries to avert the other’s gaze, it’s a mercy she is as much embarrassed as Cassandra is “Besides, you talk as if I have not a number of issues myself...”_

_“That’s not… that’s different.”_

_“How? We all have our issues, I saw yours and you saw mine, but the way we decide to deal with them, tells more about us than anything else. And you are probably the only person who has met the real me, cracks and all, besides my sister… and you haven’t run away.”_

_“Why should I have run away? There is nothing wrong with you.” Cassandra hesitates for a second, until her face opens into a side smile: “Except maybe the fact that you are a bit of a control freak.”_

_“There is nothing wrong with you either…” Elsa doesn’t miss a beat and gently taps on her arm “… even if you are emotionally constipated.”_

_She says it so casually and smoothly, that Cassandra gasps, half outraged half impressed, the next words come out almost as a shriek: “Excuse you?”_

_“Don’t sound so offended… and you started it. And it’s kinda true. Sorry.”_

_“Yeah, I probably had it coming…”_

_She is about to say something else, but she doesn’t have the time to, Elsa beats her to it: “And you should also be aware of the fact that I like your personality just fine.”_

_“Oddly.”_

_“Don’t be dramatic now, you are not that bad.”_

_“And you really have awful taste.”_

_“We all have our flaws.”_

_They fall into silence, the bickering and the teasing feel nice, but they won’t be enough to keep them from the elephant in the room, from what all of this is really about._

_Cassandra raises her back from the chair and moves closer to her “But-”_

_Elsa shushes her again by putting a hand on her face, her touch is feathery, her fingers tracing Cassandra’s cheek “You are very dense, you know that?”_

_“I am just thinking about what’s best for you.”_

_“I’ll let you know I can do that by myself.”_

_Cassandra gulps, then takes her hand in hers swiftly “And what if you are saying this in the rush of the moment? Because of this mission, you have been forced to deal only with me for the past month, what makes you think you will still want this when it’s all over?”_

What makes you think you will still want me _, is the real question, but Cassandra is not brave enough to be that direct, not this time, yet Elsa catches her meaning all the same._

_Elsa frees herself from her grasp “You are implying I can’t discern between what I feel? That I can’t tell between what’s real and what’s just a projection of the adrenaline?”_

_“I am saying that I wouldn’t blame you if you changed your mind.”_

_She stands up to put some distance between them “How would you answer if I asked you the same question? Am I just a diversion to you? Something to cling on to avoid losing yourself in your mission?” she sounds genuinely hurt, and worse, cold all over her again, like when she first met her._

_“No” the words leave her mouth without even thinking back about it “maybe it would be easier for me if you were. But you are not… a diversion… not in the slightest.”_

_“You aren’t either” she stops to take a deep breath, she looks worn out “My… my whole life I have had to hide myself, be the perfect girl everyone expected me to be, when… I wasn’t. I just wanted to let it all go and be free. And now… I don’t want fear to take over my life again, I will not do it. Not anymore. I stopped denying myself things a long time ago.”_

_With the way Elsa stares her down, a chill runs down Cassandra’s spine “But maybe this isn’t about us being doomed from the start, or a competition of who is the most unmanageable… this is about you not being able to deal with a woman working in politics.”_

_She is picking at Cassandra’s pride, it’s an intentional, clear bait, but Cassandra won’t give her the satisfaction to fall for it and replies calmly: “I am not a safe option for you.”_

_“It’s not your decision to make.”_

_“Isn’t it? I thought there were two of us.”_

_Now Cassandra is provoking her, it’s in her nature, it’s always been easier for her to look for conflict, to clash, then to talk things through. She was not made for peace and quiet, she was born to rage and fight._

_But Elsa is only apparently a calm person, she knows her by now, the everlasting storm behind her eyes, waiting to be unleashed._

_Yet she never snaps, even when she’s angry and tells the most difficult things, she remains perfectly controlled, her tone just gets tighter as if it’s paining her physically, and now it’s no exception._

_“You tell me I hide behind my words, and you always ask for honesty, but you are never direct, not when it matters… Go ahead then.”_

_Elsa lowers herself, so they can be at the same level, and leans for support on Cassandra’s leg “But you should know, these walls you have built around yourself… won’t help you. What you are doing right now is nothing compared to what I used to do, I have been the uncontested champion of self-isolation for years. Back then I truly believed it was the right thing to do, so I can assure you... This won’t protect you, or others, from anything. And it won’t give you peace either, it will just bring you more suffering... And I don’t want that for you…” her voice cracks in the end “I just want you to be okay… not necessarily with me if that’s not what you want. But I want you to be okay.”_

_Cassandra hates how all of this makes her feel, vulnerable, seen, and worse, she hates how much deep down she almost craves for it. How much she wants to stop resisting and just rest, leaning on Elsa and forgetting all about anything else. It scares her how much she would like that._

_The absurd thing is that Elsa isn’t even pushing her, she is willing to cast aside her feelings if it means making Cassandra happy. And that just makes her want to scream._

_Because how could she ever think that she wouldn’t want her in her life?_

_But she also knows it should be up to her to shut this down before they both could get in too deep, that would be the better choice, the safest one._

_But who is she kidding, she is already in too deep, she doesn’t know where the surface is anymore._

_This is more than a battle now, this is a crossroads, and whatever path she decides to take, there is no turning back. Never in her life Cassandra has felt so bare, so stripped of all her certainties, the walls she built around herself are slowly coming down, but for once she finds she doesn’t really mind._

_But in the end, she has never been a cautious person, and this is not much of a choice either, because she has already made up her mind “Okay.”_

_Elsa blinks, surprised, as if she can’t believe her own ears “Okay?”_

_“Okay.”_

_Cassandra attentively reaches for her hand, carefully wrapping her fingers around hers, she is_ _almost too wary to move, as if a sudden movement on her part could lead to something unimaginable. Or apocalyptic._

_But nothing of the sort happens._

_Elsa just gives a gentle squeeze, her thumb grazing the back of it._

_She doesn’t why she is spiraling so much, it’s not a big deal, they are just holding hands, they have done other things which should be far more... intimate. And yet. This feels a lot more intense._

_“You really did a number on me since you decided to break into my mission, miss Arendelle…” she doesn’t let go, at this point she probably isn’t going to do it sooner or later, caution and fear be damned, but she averts her gaze because she doesn’t know if she can say it properly if Elsa keeps looking at her like that “and just so we are clear, I can put up with so much politics in my life… if I get to keep you around.”_

_Her voice gets down to a murmur, but Elsa is so close, she surely heard her._

_In fact she gulps, her boldness slowly quieting down, and begins playing with a few locks of Cassandra’s hair “Good to know… Now that it’s settled… Are you done making up excuses?”_

_“For now,” maybe Cassandra is enjoying this, maybe she is hiding how she truly feels in this moment behind snarky comments and jokes “you don’t know what you are signing up for.”_

_“Maybe… But I could say the same.”_

“What are you doing?” she hisses to her companion, panic in her throat.

Elsa appears unfazed, she simply stares at her and replies calmly: “We don’t have much time.”

Cassandra shakes her head “What-”

Then Elsa does something even more unexpected, with her left hand she cups Cassandra’s face and draws her into a kiss, with the right one she reaches for the other’s hand bringing her to her waist.

From a stranger’s perspective they would simply look like a couple of lovers reuniting after time apart, and in some ways they are.

And for a split second with her lips against hers, Cassandra almost forgets where they are, but she is not that stupid, feelings have not completely burnt her brain, and as much as she would want to keep this going, now they really don’t have the time.

She really doesn’t want to die today.

She is about to snap at Elsa, when she feels something beneath her hand, a shape very familiar, perfectly tucked under Elsa’s jacket, just the spot where Elsa previously leaded Cassandra’s hand on.

Her eyes widen in realization.

Elsa pulls away a couple of inches, Cassandra practically breaths on her lips: “Tell me they have not been that dumb and forget to search you when you got here.”

“Apparently being an unexperienced _harmless_ diplomat has its perks and puts you above suspicion.” forehead still against hers, her eyes flicker “Can you do something about our situation now?”

How she managed to hide a gun no one could see, it’s a good question, a question Cassandra will ask later. For now, she is just in awe.

As she tries nonchalantly to slide her hand in the diplomat’s jacket to reach for the gun, her fingers already closing around it, she is tempted to kiss her again.

“Is it too soon to ask you to marry me?”

Elsa rolls her eyes, amusement written all over her face “I don’t even have your number.”

“It’s fine, I don’t use my phone that much.”

“Get that drive, and take us out of here, then we’ll talk.”

“You better hide.”

They part with a snap, Elsa goes rolling behind the chair, arms over her head, while Cassandra stands up, raising the gun in her hand, unlocking it in a click.

Then she starts shooting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost in the endgame, next time is the last time. It won't be proper chapter, maybe an epilogue.  
> Catch you later, guys! Thanks for sticking around.


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly pain, danger, all those things are now OVER. We reached the end, guys, and these dorks deserve a nap. And some happiness.

Cassandra lets herself fall on the plane’s chair without too much care, the meds have managed to numb most of the pain, but if she doesn’t fall asleep right this second, she is probably going to pass out.

A moment later Elsa slides in the chair beside her, her hand casually settling on Cassandra’s wrist, resting on the armrest, and the spy leans her head on her shoulder with a sigh, already closing her eyes.

She can’t fully relax, when she hears some familiar heavy footsteps approaching, and someone sits in the chair in front of them.

F starts talking: “Alright then, I need-”

“What I _need_ ” interrupts him Cassandra, not even opening her eyes “is fucking sleep.”

“ _Agent Knight_.”

She cracks one open “With all due respect, F. I know, you want a report, and I’ll give you one. But for now, I am very much tired. So _please_ , give me three, or at least two hours to rest, then I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“I need you to tell me exactly what happened _now_ : about Zhan Tiri’s involvement, any Russian or American response, and _especially_ about the Moonstone.”

“I told you the basics: no, America and Russia have nothing against us, and if they have, they can’t reveal anything about it without exposing each other. Yes, Zhan Tiri is a traitorous piece of scum who now you have _detained_ , so you can go ask her anything you want instead of bothering me. Her men are dead, but I am not really sorry about that, _obviously_... And _as I told you before_ , the Moonstone got destroyed in the fight, there was nothing I could do to save it.” she concludes with a groan “But the important thing is it’s neither in the hands of the KGB nor the CIA. So, _you are welcome_. Can I sleep now?”

“I need a full report, Knight. Not a summary.”

“I can give you preliminary one if you want.” interject Elsa “I’ll answer your questions but let her rest. In the span of more than 24 hours she hasn’t slept, not only that, she has been drugged, beaten, tortured, and _still_ she was able to fight long enough to complete the mission and get us out both alive. I think she deserves it.”

“As you know, miss Arendelle, the mission wasn’t completed _fully_ , the MI6 doesn’t have the Moonstone.” he points out sharply, but Elsa doesn’t appear fazed by his remark and quickly fires back: “Its loss was a _casualty_ , but considering that the mission was to prevent the Moonstone to be taken by our counterparts, we can consider it a success.” she raises an eyebrow “We wanted to stop Russia and America from getting it, even if we didn’t manage to recover it, its destruction still serves our purpose. Don’t you think?”

Her reasoning makes perfect sense, she is almost challenging him to retort, but they all know she would be perfectly capable of shooting down every poor excuse. And if he did admit that the Moonstone had to be brought safe and sound _imperatively_ , he would just reveal their intention to use it for the MI6’s own gain.

Cassandra manages to mumble something, her voice muffled by the fabric of Elsa’s new clean jumper, as she moves her head to find a more comfortable position on her shoulder “Spare some details…”

It’s quiet enough to make only her hear, Elsa whispers back: “Yes, I know.”

Before fully giving in to slumber, Cassandra sees the way F is looking at them, as if he can’t fully object without giving away the hidden intention of the agency, and probably the Prime Minister’s, but mostly he appears dumbfounded, as if he can’t believe his eyes.

She can’t blame him, just a month ago he saw them passive aggressively snark at each other, instead now they look like they are plotting together. Probably what surprises him the most is seeing Cassandra, a notorious loner, perfectly at ease with an assigned partner.

More than at ease.

*

_“What do we do with the Moonstone?”_

_Cassandra finish tapping her message to F from Zhan Tiri’s pager hastily, probably the only good thing that witch has provided them, then she turns to look at Elsa, who is glaring at the drive still on the ground, she doesn’t even want to touch it anymore._

_Cassandra approaches her in a few heavy steps and doesn’t even hesitate, she points the gun at it with her other hand and pulls the trigger._

_But nothing comes out, by the sound, it’s evident the loader is empty “Shit.”_

_Apparently, she used all the bullets in the fight, she can’t complain, it was a miracle by itself that it only took her one gun to win this match. Thankfully she doesn’t need a weapon to be lethal._

_Still that forsaken object keeps haunting them._

_Cassandra turns the gun in her hands “Give me a second and I’ll take care of it.”_

_Elsa’s fingers around her arm block her._

_Then without further due the diplomat stomps her heel on the drive in one precise movement, wrecking it in pieces. If she hits it a couple more times for precaution, Cassandra doesn’t stop her._

_The spy blinks, then shrugs “Or that will work.”_

_“It’s really a pity that the Moonstone got lost in the crossfire, don’t you think?”_

_“A real pity.”_

_“No one gets it. No one exploits its data.”_

_“It won’t be really missed.”_

_Cassandra throws the by-now-useless gun to the ground, putting her own hand on the one still firmly clasped around her arm, gently leading the other woman closer to her._

_She feels the need to touch her, to let her know she is there, and to ground herself too._

_At this point she doesn’t know who needs it more._

_Elsa is already melting into it, allowing her body to release the tension of the last hours, and wraps both her arms around Cassandra’s with a sigh, her forehead coming to rest on her shoulder._

_Cassandra nuzzles her nose in her hair and murmurs: “Are you alright?”_

_A snort “I am not the one who got beaten and who just came out of a shooting. I think I should be asking you how you are feeling.”_

_“Me? I’m fine, piece of cake. Normal administration.”_

_“I don’t know how you can still stand. I can feel you trembling, and I can see your injuries.”_

_“Nothing a 36 hours nap and lots of meds can’t fix.”_

_“That’s not a nap, that’s a coma.”_

_“Still.” she strokes her elbow “Are you okay? What you did was very dangerous, you reached a whole new level of recklessness. I don’t even know from which part to begin to tell you how nuts it was.”_

_“I had to do something.” she turns her head to raise it, so she can properly look at her in the eye._

_“You interfered with my part of the job, again…” honestly anger is the last thing Cassandra feels right now, there is only relief “… but I’m glad that you did.”_

_“Well, that’s a first.”_

_“Don’t get used to it.”_

_“In the end you did keep us both alive, even if I didn’t make it easy for you.”_

_“No, you didn’t.” Cassandra waits a few seconds before adding: “Thank you… for coming back for me.”_

_She sounds surprisingly soft, she blames it on the exhaustion, even if it’s not the only reason and they both know it._

_Elsa responds equally soft, her grip tighter: “I did say we are in this together.”_

*

“Cassandra?”

She slowly comes back to her senses, when she feels someone nudging her on the shoulder, and the moment she opens her eyes, she finds herself staring into Elsa’s blue gaze.

She tries not to appear fazed by the way she is smiling at her, but her stomach gives a revealing embarrassing flutter just at the sight “What is it?”

“We are home, we just landed.”

“Finally.” Cassandra groans, gripping the armrests of the chair she pushes herself up, stretching with an ungraceful yawn. She can’t wait to get out of there and be back home, after a quick stop at the headquarters to settle all the remaining doubts, nothing will stop her from crashing on her bed in her beloved apartment, she probably won’t get up for the next three days.

After all she has been through, no one can deny her that.

Without putting too much thought, she wraps her fingers around Elsa’s already outstretched hand, trailing after her as they head towards the exit.

The moment they step out of the plane the light blinds her for a moment, she has no idea what time of day they took off, all the events of yesterday are kind of a blur at this point, but she can guess it’s early morning now in London.

She shields her eyes with her free hand, taking in that the deserted airstrip, there are only their plane and two parked black SUVs, probably sent by the MI6.

Someone gets out of one of the cars, it’s a woman, probably younger than her, the hair a distinctive red, and the moment Elsa spots her, she gasps, and lets go of Cassandra’s hand, gripping the handrail of the boarding latter “Anna!”

The redhead turns with a snap and shouts with probably as much excitement as her “Elsa!”

Cassandra’s initial puzzlement is soon replaced by recognition.

_That’s her sister._

They start running, Elsa even skips a few steps to be faster, when they come to be very close, Anna throws herself at her and her sister catches her right in her arms, hugging her tightly.

Elsa is visibly beaming, while her sister is buzzing her with words, talking so fast it’s impossible to capture what she is truly saying from afar. They are constantly touching, their hands never leaving each other, as if after all this time apart, they are trying to make up for it all at once.

It’s a scene so touching and heartfelt that Cassandra can’t help but smile a little.

Usually the protocol consists of keeping everything top secret, every detail of the mission, the family of the agent is involved only when everything is over, or in case of serious injuries or any fatalities.

Apparently, this time F has allowed the younger Arendelle sister to come, because Elsa is not a proper agent, she was probably brought here to offer the comfort of a relative, or a loved one, after a potentially deadly situation that normally could have upset any civilian.

She strolls down the boarding latter slowly, she doesn’t want to intrude their little reunion, they have a lot to catch up on, and as she passes through, she catches a few words of their conversation:

“That’s so cool, did you punch some bad guy?”

“No, Anna. I didn’t.”

“Not even one?”

Cassandra tries to suppress a laugh, then her eyes spot a very familiar and welcomed face, exiting from the other car, and the smile pops out on its own.

“Cass, I am so glad you are here!”

Rapunzel doesn’t give her the time to react, she just launches at her, expecting her to be caught swiftly, but Cassandra takes her embrace with a groan of pain, her injuries awakening at the sudden contact.

“Raps, easy.”

“Oh, sorry.” she grabs her face in her hands, examining her with wary eyes “Wow, you look awful.”

“Great to see you too. What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean _what am I doing here_ , I came to pick you up.” she hugs her again, this time in a gentler way “My best friend coming back from a mission who almost got her killed? Of course I am going to be there.”

She needs to remind herself to thank F for this later, for stretching a little the rules for her.

Cassandra normally would dismiss any kind of display of affection, but she doesn’t have the energy or the will to do it, honestly, she is just happy to see her here.

She hugs her back with her good arm, hiding her face in her shoulder “Thanks Raps.”

“Let’s get you home now and properly rested. And I am going to cook something for you, you look thinner, that’s not good.” she starts pulling her by her hand, and Cassandra can’t help but shoot a glance at Elsa, still engulfed into her sister’s grasp, and feel a bit nauseous at the thought of leaving without her.

This is what she has feared all this time, the moment they would have to part and go back to their old lives, maybe completely forgetting all they have been through.

They are the only ones who know what they experienced, they have been there for each other in a way no one could ever understand, but for Cassandra it’s more than that.

This time there are feelings involved, she doesn’t want to leave, because she _cares_.

But she can’t possibly expect her to choose her again, now the game has changed.

What they said _there_ doesn’t necessarily applies _here_ , it’s like they are back in the real world, they have been living a fantasy during the mission, a fantasy that now is over.

Sometimes it might have been awful and dangerous and scary, but there also were good moments, really good ones, and she can’t bring herself to get over them easily.

She continues spiraling with these thoughts as she heads towards the car, when suddenly Elsa’s voice calls her out: “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Cassandra stops on her tracks, then turns to find her with her arms crossed, head slightly tilted to the side, her unmistakably piercing blue eyes scanning her attentively.

She furrows her brow “Am I?”

Anna keeps shooting looks between Cassandra and her sister, trying to piece the situation together “Elsa, what…”

“Just a moment, Anna.” Elsa raises a hand to reassure her “Agent Knight and I have some… unfinished business.”

Rapunzel nudges Cassandra with her elbow and whispers, her tone dripping curiosity “Who is she?”

“Oh I… she is…” she stammers, she doesn’t know why she’s stammering, maybe because she has no idea how to call Elsa at this point “My…”

“Partner?” finishes Elsa approaching her in a couple measured steps “In the mission?”

_She sounds hesitant, why does she sound hesitant? Is this a trap?_

“Yes, my… partner.” she repeats numbly “just… a partner…?”

Elsa pursues her lips “Are you asking _me_ or _you_?”

“I have no idea what I am asking.”

She snorts, her eyes slightly narrowing “I think you still owe me your number.”

It comes out so unexpected, and so abruptly, Cassandra blushes instantly.

“I assumed you didn’t want… _that_ anymore.”

With one word she means a lot, but Elsa is perceptive, she knows what she is referring to.

“Didn’t we have this conversation already?”

“I thought…” she tries to sound firmer, she can’t blubber like a freaking teenager, _she is a full trained intelligence agent for god’s sake_ “I thought… you changed your mind.”

“I didn’t.” she takes a breath, her fingers briefly twitch, betraying her nervousness “Have _you_?”

Cassandra is very tempted to just go for it and kiss her right there, but she can’t in front of everyone, she has to keep her cool, because she has already made a fool of herself enough, instead she turns to Rapunzel, who is the epitome of disbelief, her voice coming too close to a squeak “Raps, do you have a pen?”

The moment the words leave her mouth, Elsa looks like she is almost bouncing.

“Actually…” Anna raises her hand as if she is class, her eyebrows practically touching her forehead, then addresses her sister “I have your phone with me, I thought you might need it after you got back… do you want me to…”

“Yes, Anna, please.”

The redhead takes it out of her pocket to hand it to her sister, who without missing a beat just passes it to Cassandra, avoiding every possible eye contact.

The spy can’t say who is acting worse between them, they literally almost died just a few hours ago, and now they are debating about exchanging numbers.

She taps her number in Elsa’s phone as fast as she can, hoping this awkward situation will finish soon, and after she saves it, she hands it back to her “Here.”

“Thank you.”

They eye each other intermittently, falling into silence, Cassandra resists the impulse to bite her lip.

But soon she can’t take it anymore, she needs to be sure, and just blurts out: “Are you going to…”

Elsa doesn’t even let her finish: “Yes.”

“I’ll wait then.”

“Okay.”

Another silence.

“Don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.”

“I hate waiting.”

“I know.”

If Cassandra doesn’t leave right this second, she is totally going to melt, right in front of her.

They finally do look, their faces opening into complicit smiles, they are trying to convey more through their eyes than with their words. After spending a month of forced cohabitation, they now know how to do it perfectly.

“And kick some politicians’ asses for me.”

The wind makes one of her blonde locks blow in front of her face, she tucks it gently, her laugh filling Cassandra’s ears, “You try not to get into trouble.”

“No promises.” she shoots her one last smirk before turning to leave, when she does, she has to drag Rapunzel by her arm to make her move, her best friend is still stunned because of what just happened in front of her “Cass, what the-”

“Don’t ask, I’ll explain later.”

“I want to know _everything_.”

“You know I can’t talk about the mission.”

“Who cares about the mission, that’s definitely not what I want to know about...” she pokes her on the cheek, grinning like a fool, making Cassandra wish to disappear at once, she knows she won’t escape this soon.

They are walking away, the distance growing further, but right before they get into the car, Cassandra can still pinpoint clearly the sisters’ voice, they are being too loud not to hear them:

“Were you just… _flirting with her_?”

“I mean… I wasn’t…”

“And you asked her _out_?”

“Well, I…”

“To the super scary hot spy who you spent a month with and who just left?”

“Anna…”

“ _You had to go on a life-or-death super-secret mission of the government to get a proper date?_ ”

“Wait Anna, I… Did you just call her hot?”

“Honestly, I am not even going to complain, good for you, sis. About time.”

“ _Anna_.”

This time Cassandra does burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end of the line, thank you all for sticking with me till the end of this beast. I hope I made your stay worthwhile, it has been tough, it has been a pleasure. See you soon (hopefully)  
> And long live Casselsa

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this for so long, I can't believe I managed to get it done.  
> Honestly I hope it doesn't suck, or that makes sense at least.  
> If you decide to stick around, I'll try my best to make you enjoy your stay. Thank you for reading!


End file.
